


Skein: The Realms of Wicked

by UsagiSquared



Series: Skein [8]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Female Seto Kaiba in other words, Gen, Gender or Sex Swap, There are So Many Characters in YGO R I am not Tagging all of those I'm SORRY
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:21:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 135,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21695761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UsagiSquared/pseuds/UsagiSquared
Summary: Part 8 of Skein, formerly Skin on ff.net | Covers the events of YGO-RSchool has started again, and after Battle City everyone could use some normalcy- some more than others. New enemies do not have such pity however and soon enough it'll be a race against the very things that stand to counter the power of the Gods, lest the Wicked Ones succeed at bringing about their end.Maybe once it's all over he'll stop passing out.
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Series: Skein [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1098465
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	1. Ri'Shah

There was no light in the room that he stood in right now.

He'd taken to leaving them off, sitting on his own and simply allowing time to pass by without consideration. His brother had been worried of course- hell everyone had been worried, but they'd worried about the wrong thing entirely in his opinion. After the funeral, their attentions had turned to him.

They should have turned to the cause of the funeral.

He could remember the last time he'd seen him, his mentor and guardian. The one that had taken he and his brother in, despite such a seemingly small gap in age. The morning before the tournament that he had prepared in his agreement with KaibaCorp's board of directors, when they'd sat down for tea after lunch. His brother was gone during that time; dealing with some company matters in Europe as he recalled, and quietly explaining that his 'father' would not be coming. And while he wished that he was asked to do those things more often, he'd welcomed for a moment to sit with his teacher.

'_Duelist Kingdom begins tomorrow, doesn't it?_' he asked, a wide smile on his face. Pegasus had held a card in his hands with an almost distant stare when he said that, his teacup sitting untouched on the table.

'_That's right,_' Pegasus had said quietly, looking to the card with a nostalgic gaze. '_And after that,_' he continued absently, '_Kaiba Corporation's technology will be in our hands..._'

'_For Cynthia?_' he responded, smile unwavering.

'_Yes... For Cynthia._'

They'd left it at that, his smile slowly vanishing until finally they took their separate ways.

Everything had gone wrong that day. The moment he'd seen the bullet impressions in the hall he'd known. When he'd seen the glass on the floor and the blood that had dried black in the carpet he'd known. When he saw the long, jagged line left by a knife on the wall...

When he found Keith Howard's unmoving body at the side, caught somewhere between a coma and death. And when he'd finally come downstairs to where the arena sat...

Only to find himself too late.

'_Pegasus!_' he screamed, hurriedly running to the body that lay slumped in its seat, unmoving. '_Pegasus... PEGASUS!_'

Blood had long since pooled around the left side of his face and neck, staining the white shirt he'd worn. His face was frozen in exhaustion and defeat, as though he'd stared death in the face and simply given in. As though he'd had no will to live any more.

And to add yet another sting to the pain he felt, the golden Millennium Eye he'd once held in his head was gone, desecrating the body further. He was dead. He was gone. He was dead. He was...

He was...

"...Senpai," he whispered mournfully, holding a card in his hands with a bit lip. In the USA one of his staff would be delivering an apologetic message to Seto Kaiba detailing his reasons for cancelling the meeting between he and his brother. They would then tell him, if only to hold him there for a while longer, that there was at least a local tournament that would eventually lead into another Professor-League match which he'd like them to watch. He doubted that either of the siblings would really want to go, but there was no doubt in his mind that they would at least do so to uphold a bit of civility.

Elsewhere in the city his hired help would be preparing their decks and tasks. They'd be taking their positions, and from there on would wait until needed. On the television screen before him was the information on one boy, one ordinarily unnoticeable boy despite all appearances. Despite multi-coloured hair, despite leather clothes, despite violet eyes and a golden puzzle chained around his neck.

The 'king'.

The one who had defeated his 'father'.

The one that he would finally strike down after all these months and weeks spent placing the proper pieces. "It begins at last," the young man hissed, fingering the edges of a card in his hand. "The price he pays will be high Senpai. The one who stole everything from me, and from you... We're going to get revenge," he 'told' it, holding the card close. "Just watch... You'll see soon enough," he continued, before a knock came on the door. The teen turned, frowning. "...Who is it?" he asked stiffly, pocketing the card.

"We've completed the final preparations," came a voice in return, no other answer or acknowledgement to the earlier question being given. "We're ready when you are." The final step had been taken had it? Well.

Who was he to hold it back then? A sinister grin came over his face, eyes widening as he moved over to a device on the side. This device...

This device that he'd spent months developing, researching and snatching at every little thing he could glean from meetings with KaibaCorp's CEO... This device that if released to the world would change communication completely if not for the possible risk to the mind.

The release of the duel disk had been the final step in its creation. And more importantly, the final step before the plan could be set into motion. On the screens of the company he was already located near there were already nothing but 'error' symbols and strings of unmovable code. Shouts of panic filled the rooms of KaibaCorp's building, and shut down codes were being entered in a clear sign of 'worst case scenario' action with as much speed as humanly and perhaps even in-humanly possible.

But it was all too late in the end.

As he flipped the switch controlling the machine that now covered most of his head and face, he could almost feel his body vanish despite it never leaving the room.

"I... I can't cut it!" a panicked technician cried his supervisor just as pale faced as they stared at the screens, the sight of them all appearing clearly before him as he formed the hologram for his mind. "I can't cut the power, something's jammed the system-" Yes...

"That would be me," he hissed, leaning by the supervisor's shoulder as he moved his false body behind the man.

"H-HHHAH!"

A dark smirk graced his face as the man jumped, and with expert control he pulled the hologram into the air to look down upon all in the room. "This is a takeover, as I'm sure you can see," he began flatly. "From this moment on, KaibaCorp's main office belongs to me... Along with the entirety of Industrial Illusions' Asian Branch." The center of the company's technology, the home to the database of every single card the dueldisk could read, including duplicates... It was all his, if at least for as long as he required. "I'll have to ask you to clear this building of all personnel for the next twenty four hours," he said darkly, 'walking' toward the computer in admiration. "...Unless you wish to argue," he added. The looks on the technician's faces told him everything he needed to know, and as a number of them stood to leave the chairs his almost insane smirk grew.

There would be no argument.

* * *

He was used to dreams now.

He'd have been surprised not to be after all that happened. He wouldn't lie to himself of course- after Battle City he'd hoped the dreams would stop. It was over wasn't it? The Gods were done with their challenges, and the other Yugi had his next lead to identity. He could go back to being a normal (or at least mostly normal) person who just happened to be able to see monsters from another world or something like that.

But then again taking that into consideration, it wasn't over. Not really at least. Even the Gods had said this during Yugi's final match with the Other Malik. There would be 'more' sooner or later... There would be other challenges, other obstacles to surpass, and the most they could do was wait and see what they were.

He'd hoped that he would get a heads up on what those were granted, particularly once he'd given up on hoping to not have that kind of foresight on things. Maybe a glimpse of a tournament, or a rival's face. Yet he hadn't had a single premonition of the sort all summer.

In fact the only dream he had was another 'flash' sort of dream, where Ryuzaki finally opened his eyes and regained consciousness. A dream where the tubes, machinery, and bandages had at last been removed, leaving only scars in their place. Scars that would never be able to fade, but were at least easier to look at now that the bandages were gone.

Ryuzaki would, with a few slight changes of appearance from all that happened, be going to school with everyone else in his class in Osaka come the first day.

That day hadn't come yet though.

He didn't want to say anything for fear he'd somehow alter it in fact; if Shizuka went to see Ryuzaki for the day he woke up, well... Who knew what could occur. 'Fate' certainly decided the last time that it would be best to react harshly whenever he tried it after all, and really, in the end... The look on his sister's face when Ryuzaki showed up for class at their school would be worth it, even if he didn't recognize the glasses wearing transfer from the shadows he stood in during that flash. The boy that would be greeted somewhat stiffly by his sister and friend, before sitting next to the pair with a similar feeling about him. For a moment, he almost wondered if it was someone he knew...

But given that Shizuka's first day would be spent banding together with this other boy to shout at Ryuzaki for not paying attention in class before spending lunch with the pair, he figured it'd be alright.

This dream was the first one he'd had since then, and where he stood within it was not a room.

It was not a desert from what he could tell, as there was no sand beneath his feet. It wasn't even the darkness he'd become so used to floating within during these dreams. Perhaps it was because he was sleeping more often; it wasn't as though there was much else to do other than eat and wander the house when all the exits had been blocked off half the time. He'd even sat around the library for a bit. And read something there.

Given the kinds of books sitting around in there, he'd found himself holding his head in slight shock afterwards. Yikes.

As these thoughts ran through his head however the fact was it really didn't matter. Where he stood had no solid ground beneath his feet after all; the ground was below, hidden in darkness at the moment. It looked almost as though he was watching a shadow play. In fact in the back of his mind it felt almost like the term 'shadow play' was all too fitting, as he was pretty sure that whatever was making these puppets were actual shadows controlled by actual hands...

But really, that was beside the point.

The shadows were being controlled by an old man he realized, the blond slowly coming to rest in an almost ghostly state at the side. An old, white bearded man with almost deceptively kind eyes. He was in the village he'd seen in Noa's world again- this time however, there were no ruins. In fact not only was the well completely intact it seemed the entire village was bustling with life despite the late hour. People trading goods moved to and fro from opposite ends of the village, and crowded around the well to watch as the old man controlled shadows in an almost liquid like state with his hands, were numerous children staring in awe.

The fact that he recognized one of the children as some discolored version of himself didn't put as much unease in his mind as he expected, and as he stood behind the boy he decided to push it as much from his mind as possible. "_Are you going to tell us a story?_" one of the children asked the old man, the elder chuckling as numerous requests began to fly.

"_Tell us the one about Behemoth_," the first asked, "_And how the old ones sealed him away_."

"_Or the Three Treasures_," another asked with a grin. "_Tell us a story!_"

The old one continued to laugh, shaking his head. "_Alright, alright, calm down now,_" the man responded, shadows bending to his will as they set the scene. "_Very well, I will tell you a story... How about-_"

"_Do you know the one about the great serpent?_" the little him asked, the children and elder each turning in confusion as Katsuya looked down.

The elder's shadow froze, melting as it reformed into a small wooden figure of sorts at his side. "_The 'Great Serpent'?_" he repeated, tilting his head somewhat in an attempt to hear otherwise.

'Katsuya' nodded, grin never fading. "_Yeah. And the 'Nameless' shadow, what about that one? Oh, or maybe the Dragon Warriors,_" he went on, eyes widening with anticipation. "_I really liked that one!_"

The children continued to stare in silence, confused frowns gracing their faces as the elder stood. "_I... Have never told such a tale before child..._" At these words the other children began to pale, muttering fearfully among themselves before the old man continued. "_Where did you hear of such things?_"

He blinked, showing no fear, nor any sign of something other than innocent confusion. "_The shadows did,_" he said plainly, almost looking toward the entrance of the catacombs before deciding otherwise. "_I didn't say you told me. I just wanted to know if you knew the same stories. I thought the others would like them._"

Again the elder stiffened, the other children turning for his reaction. It seemed that despite curiosity, they themselves weren't completely sure how safe it would be to ask as well. "_The 'shadows'?_" he repeated slowly, expression giving away little in regard to emotion.

"_Yes. The shadows,_" 'Katsuya' explained. "_I met them before, in the desert. They like to tell stories._"

The elder fell silent. And then he laughed. Quietly at first. And then a little louder, with the rest of the children nervously joining in as 'Katsuya' frowned. It didn't feel like a very humorous event, and as he looked to the shadow at the elder's side it put him at even more unease. The wooden monster wasn't like the other shadows, that was what the dragon said. But it wasn't until now that he really noticed.

It looked man-made, with odd metal disks in its joints, and eyes that gleamed like jewels rather than real ones. Glass, the real Katsuya told himself. The monster was made of wood, gears, and glass.

A 'robot'.

The laughter died down, and the elder gestured to his staff-wielding shadow as it stood in silence. "_Does my shadow speak?_" he asked with an almost menacing laugh. "_Does it move on it's own, does it laugh? The shadows are the tools of the chosen,_" he pressed, expression becoming stern. "_They are pulled from their souls and used for the purposes of the People! They do not have souls of their own!_"

"_But that's not what Tanniyn said,_" the boy protested, only to be cut off just as quickly as he'd spoken.

"_They do not SPEAK!_" he roared, expression twisting to rage. About now Katsuya realized that the scene had changed. That the children were gone and that the boy and the elder were now alone at the well, with any kindness he'd seen before now absent from the old man's eyes. "_Understand boy? Now come with me,_" he continued, pulling him away by the arm as his shadow melted into the ground. "_We are going to have a little talk about these stories you're 'hearing'..._"

"_Ah- Ow, let go! I'm telling the truth!_" he screamed, pulling back and scraping his feet across the ground. "_Hey..! Let go! Let go,_" the boy cried, "_Let-_"

* * *

The next thing Katsuya knew he was opening his eyes to the wall and floor of his room, his left arm tangled horribly in his blanket as what looked to be the Little Winguard stood before him. Gold eyes stared back at brown ones, the gold ones eventually being the first to blink. "_Good morning_," the soldier said somewhat blankly, Katsuya staring back with a similar expression for a moment.

It was really hard to tell with the Little Winguard, what with most of the face being hidden behind the armor. Nonetheless he got up, wincing as he unwrapped his arm from the blanket and rubbed what was going to develop into a fairly painful rugburn in a few hours. "Gh... Ow... Shit. Wh't happened?" he muttered, voice somewhat hoarse from whatever he'd done in his sleep.

The Winguard shrugged, standing up a little straighter before speaking. "I'm not really sure," they admitted. "_One minute I was sleeping in the other realm... You know, where the other duel monsters live,_" they added almost as an after thought, "_And the next, I was out here. Panther Warrior mentioned that you summoned him out of duel before Battle City once,_" the soldier continued with crossed arms, "_But I didn't think much of it until now. I didn't even know you could do it in your sleep!_"

Oh. The blond stared a few moments more, blinking as he absorbed the information. Technically Panther had been summoned during a duel, and just left but...

Uh... "Y-Yeah," he coughed, pulling himself up. He supposed that in a way, the Winguard's explanation wasn't wrong. "Neither did I..." The blond shook himself, frowning. So he managed to summon the Winguard in his sleep... Somehow, it seemed nothing was surprising anymore. "Well... Leas' yer more civil abou' it."

At this the Winguard seemed to jump, before shrugging. "_I don't know about that... Panther Warrior was stuck in this world for a number of hours- he's not the greatest guy, but even I'd be irritated after that long. But the clock beside your bed said 'seven' when I was summoned, so..._" Seven?

Katsuya looked over to the clock in question, blinking. "Huh." 7:10. "Ten minutes then..."

The monster nodded. "_Yep. I'm going to go back inside now_," Winguard continued, giving a slight yawn. "_I was supposed to meet with someone today... I might as well get ready_." They gave another wave, eyes shimmering with what was probably cheer. "_Bye-bye now Katsuya~!_" Before Katsuya could even ask how that sort of thing worked the monster tapped his deck on the table, vanishing in a flurry of smoke and mist. Well.

That was a little anti-climactic, but... "Shit," he muttered, scratching his head as he collapsed back on the bed. Even the thought of what the other realms even looked like couldn't distract him from this particular bomb... "I didn' even know it w's possible t' summon outta a duel," the blond groaned, staring at the ceiling as he sighed. Heck, he didn't even know if that was something that was controllable. Though he certainly wouldn't be trying it any time soon.

The weeks that followed after the start of summer had passed by almost unbearably slow for Katsuya, outside of that particular set of dreams he'd had. He supposed a lot of that had to do with being stuck inside the entirety of it, but then again the other half could have been attributed to having night-shift for the entire month as he paid off his Duel Disk- thereby leaving him either in a deep sleep or

completely lethargic. Thinking about Seto seemed to pass time a little quicker, but...

Well, thinking about her when he couldn't even call Mokuba just started getting depressing after a while. So he decided not to bother trying to figure out what the rift in communication meant for a bit, if only to somewhat console himself. If Shizuka was there, she would probably say that Seto needed time for something. If Anzu was there, she'd tell him to leave it be.

Unfortunately he didn't have those two there, or even much of anyone he actually knew given that Kyouko had taken a vacation and everyone else was simply nowhere to be found. No... He just had his deck, which came with a crowd of monsters all ready to prove how little they actually knew of the real world outside of whatever he'd told them so far.

Which was probably why the first thing he did when the school year started again was rush out the door carrying his bag with a cheer. "HAHA_HAH_!" The sun was shining brightly despite the early hour of the morning, and if not for the clock at the side he'd have thought he was late for school. "FINALLLY!" he shouted with a grin. "FRESH AIR~! An' people!"

'_And what's wrong with us?_' a dull voice from the deck in his bag growled, only to be silenced by the constant jostling of the cards. Absolutely nothing of course he thought to himself, the grin not fading in the slightest as he ran towards his school. But if he heard one more word from Selket about how incredible it was for him to face off against Ra and survive in one piece, he'd probably hang himself. The scorpion god/lady/thing should probably have been sitting in her actual deck anyways, though he had a nasty feeling that she wouldn't.

If anything she was far more determined to take advantage of her connection with Rishid's own to pass along small messages such as Malik being cleared of all charges concerning the Rare hunters due to 'lack of evidence', or the fact that he'd be heading to school soon enough himself. Regardless of creepy spying scorpions sitting in his bag, it was good to be out.

Even if it meant he seemed just a little too excitable for his own good when compared to his behaviour a few weeks ago.

"Ah- Jonouchi-kun!" Yugi shouted from the school entrance, his other half misting to his side with a large smile himself.

"_Jonouchi!_"

"Hahaha! Guys!" Man it was good to be back! High-fives were traded and quickly enough the three were walking into the building, the more ghostly of the two Yugis opting to not bother with pretending to walk. "So, how'd the summer go?"

For the most part reactions among his friends were relatively the same, not that he really got too many before actually getting in the classroom. "_Boring,_" was the other Yugi's answer, the three boys making their way down the hall and into the room. "_I feel I might have been taking your ability to see and hear me for granted._" This had received an indignant 'hey!' from Yugi as the boy asked if it was really so bad, before Anzu continued the conversation with a mention of seeing Malik at a marketplace store. For a moment, he found himself unable to visualize that particular thing...

This was very quickly fixed however, and he found himself turning to the woman with an almost blankly confused stare. "...Er..." This image of Malik using a nabe in a boat kitchen... It was a little weird. To say the least. "What w's Malik doin' makin' sukiyaki?"

Their friend shrugged. "I think he managed to trigger some memories of the taste from a year or so ba- Hey wait a minute," Anzu muttered half way through, "How did you know..."

There was a short span of silence at that, Honda eventually shrugging it off and grinning. "We should probably just not even ask," he said with a short laugh. "Pretty sure that by now whatever needs to be filled in just will. But damn it!" he added loudly, smacking his friend on the back of the shoulder, "If you get a shot at what's on the next test, you better say something, got it?"

"G-" He snorted, crossing his arms as he laughed. "Pffff, d'pends on how I feel!"

"What!" Katsuya ducked a swipe, laughing and skipping back behind another desk as his friend lunged. "Get back here you!"

"Hey! Honda, Jonouchi!" Anzu protested, "Class starts in five minutes! HONDA! JONOUCHI!"

As it turned out from what was muttered or spoken throughout the day, he wasn't the only one with an uneventful summer. Aside from a few trips to the museum, Anzu's was spent with her part-time job selling engraved jewellery, while running the occasional line of Egyptian or Arabic through her head to keep herself from falling asleep from boredom.

Honda's was more or less spent moving furniture in and out of an apartment with Otogi, before the both of them essentially collapsed and spent the rest of it wandering the area to figure out decent enough routes to take where-ever. Yugi and his other half visited with their friends occasionally (though the mansion itself had mysteriously given no answer), finding Honda and Otogi in the aforementioned state of lethargy before managing to even run into Malik and his siblings once or twice in the days that followed.

It was about there that Katsuya had decided to mention what Selket had told him actually; though he decided to leave it as a 'dream' thing rather than a 'my monsters like to move between decks' thing.

Shortly after this Bakura had come over from whatever he'd been doing to share his own stories. During his summer, Bakura had apparently gone right home after all was said and done. And following that had... Somehow proceeded to forget what he'd spent the summer doing outside of any moments of Monster World Campaigning and model making. There was a part of him that wondered if he'd somehow gotten the ring back, but when the other Yugi had shaken his head and gestured to the bag that his lighter half was keeping with him at all times, they decided to chalk it up to getting distracted by the campaigning that their friend was currently gushing about. He might have been quiet after all, but that didn't mean Bakura could get just as sucked into something he enjoyed as the rest of them.

As it was he was probably the only one who'd really done something in the end, even if that something was nothing but games. Especially since the most he could say was that he'd gotten a call half way through summer from his mom asking what had happened at Battle City since, as she put it, '_While I'm grateful that she's taken the bandages off, it seems like there's more than just Ryuzaki-kun's accident causing this silence._'

And then later, when Ryuzaki actually did wake up and go home (which came complete with an angered 'why didn't you tell me' once Shizuka guessed what his lack of surprise meant), this message turned into '_are you SURE you don't know what's wrong?_' Well...

He'd... Say something about dueling scars and the like but...

Well as it was, he was having enough issues changing for Gym class without anyone spotting the fairly large one that was over his chest. "You are so lucky," Honda muttered dryly, "That this thing is only visible from the front." Katsuya threw his shirt back on, sending a somewhat cautious look over his shoulder before patting the fabric down over the scar. The sword one might have been double-sided, but at least that one could be passed as something simpler.

"Heh. Yeah, tell me about it," the blond responded, scratching his head with a somewhat pained grin. "Least I don' have t' worry about it any more."

"What?" A few of the others turned, blinking.

"So you really don't plan on doing any dueling from now on then?" Otogi asked, the topic itself coming up around the end of the last period class as they packed up.

The look Katsuya gained seemed almost akin to horror, even with the obviously humored undertone. "AH- S-Stop..!?"

Bakura didn't apparently catch it (though he was behind him), instead nodding with worried agreement. "Well... Given the consequences," he began, the others having filled him in long before, "It seems to be the smarter solution-"

"Doesn' mean I'm takin' it!" Wait, that came out wrong... Ah well. "Really," he muttered almost incredulously. "Take a hell 'f a lot more than 'this' t' stop me!"

"Didn't 'that' put you in a state of clinical death for half an hour?" Katsuya chose not to address Otogi's remark, instead heading back to the classroom with a grin still on his face.

"Maybe I c'n duel Yugi after school," he was saying, already certain that the cards in his bag would be rumbling with anticipation. "Didn' bring my duel-disk, but there's always table-top..."

"Erm... Does anyone want to remind him he's supposed to go home?" Bakura asked nervously.

"Don't bother," came a 'doubled' answer from the other two, Katsuya still ignoring them both.

"Ehhh..." The albino sighed, shaking his head. "Right well... If you do end up dueling, let me know how it turns out alright?" he asked, gesturing to the buckets at the side of their door. "Otogi and I have to clean the classroom today."

At this Otogi jumped, having apparently forgotten about this. "Nh- That's right..." He winced, looking back down the hall. "...Our class has the Library and nurses' room as well this week, doesn't it..."

Bakura nodded, the others merely snickering in response. Ooooh... Sucked that. "Hehehe... Too bad Otogi," Katsuya said with a grin. "Looks like yer stuck inside..."

The teen merely smirked at that, recovering from his momentary despair almost immediately. "Hn! For twenty minutes maybe! Not like you, mister 'house-arrest'!"

"GH- THA'-"

"Hey Yugi, you alright in there?" The boys turned, following Honda's gaze into the classroom. He seemed almost frozen for the moment- he was standing by the window, looking up and out through it with a rather blank stare, as though something in the clouds just happened to be more important than anything else.

"Hn?" Anzu came over from behind the group herself, looking in with the others. "...Isn't that normally your thing Jonouchi?"

For a brief moment the blond scowled, before looking back in and shaking it off. Oh what the hell, it wasn't like he could well deny it in this case. Not to mention the looks they had seemed to point toward Yugi possibly being stuck in that very same sort of trance. "Ahhh c'mon," Katsuya groaned, "I ain't contagious! Hey Otogi, Bakura!" he added, looking back as the two again sent a glance toward the library with an identical sigh. "We'll meet y' at Burger World after, alrigh'?"

"Burger World?" Bakura repeated, Otogi frowning at the plan.

"You know, you might not care now," he muttered almost darkly, "But I'm pretty sure that if someone actually bothers giving a call you'll regret it both as a relationship victim and an employee..." Katsuya chose to ignore that, though a somewhat broken smile had given Otogi enough response that his next words were '_see you then_,' as he bolted off with Bakura.

Heh. He had to say, he liked that a hell of a lot more than thinking of what Seto's reaction to anything involving him would be right now.

(Don't think about it don't think about it...!)

Regardless, Yugi was still looking out the window... And it was starting to worry him as well. "Oi! Yugi!" he shouted out, the boy jumping as his other half appeared to the side and snapped out of a similar state. Katsuya grinned, waving his friend over toward the door. "Yugi, what're y' doin' man? Class 's over, c'mon, lets head out!"

Yugi nodded, shaking himself was he walked over. "Ah- Right," he laughed, "Coming!"

"_Hnnn... Hah..._" The spirit at his side stretched, having likely forgotten just momentarily that being behind Yugi didn't shield him from Katsuya's eyes, and therefore from the risk of being laughed at. "_That was a nice sleep_," he muttered with a yawn, before shaking off any further drowsiness. Nice-

No wonder he complained about staying up all night..! (Wait how the hell did that-)

"So, Burger World right?" Anzu asked conversationally, the others turning as she continued. "Alright then," she went on with a smile, "But my shift starts in a few hours so-"

'Mutou Yugi...' The group stiffened, turning back to the classroom as what seemed almost like the sound of wind blew through.

"Tha'..." Katsuya frowned, narrowing his eyes. "W's tha' one jus' me..?" A number of shaken heads were his response, and Yugi stared at the desk he'd passed. By all accounts it seemed nothing was wrong but...

Since when did everyone hear voices that weren't there? "Who was that?" Yugi asked somewhat fearfully, his other half inspecting the desk with a suspicious frown. "Show yourself!"

"H-Hihhh... Tha' really th' best thing t' do w' phantom voices?" He knew that he could hear weird crap, but things that they could all hear could never be good-

A head slowly rose through the desk, Katsuya falling backward in shock as a single wide and mad eye looked directly toward him from behind the hair that covered its duplicate.

"H-H-HHH_HAAHHH_!"

"What the hell!"

The head was quickly followed by shoulders. Followed by a torso, arms, and soon enough a full body, coming to rest atop the table with an expression almost akin to the now lost 'other Malik'. The appearance of the man quite obviously told them otherwise however. If not for the fact that this man was pale skinned with mid-back length hair going anywhere but up, then the way he dressed was already a dead giveaway. No...

From the looks of things, whoever this was he was clearly Japanese himself. As to who he was however there was still that to answer, particularly since he was currently looking at them all as though they were something he was about to squish under his shoe in sadistic glee.

"Hnhnhnhnhn... So this is the 'Duel King'?" the 'ghost' applauded, Katsuya swallowing as he pulled himself back up with a bit of help from the 'other Yugi'. "I have to say, I have very much looked forward to this meeting..." Yeah because that was always good to hear...

Shuddering was put aside as the group stared, Yugi being the first to speak. "You... Who are you?" Yugi asked, before Katsuya's own voice over powered it.

"_What_ are you!" Hell, looking at this guy now he was pretty much emanating smoke! That or some other black, misty substance that reminded him of his father's cooking. And if everyone could see him... Well.

To his surprise, even with a part of him knowing what the answer was, it caught him completely off guard. In fact...

For once it felt like he hadn't seen what he was supposed to this time. "Who am I?" the 'ghost' asked with a smirk, hands still held out and opened before him. "CEO of Industrial Illusions 'Asia'... Tenma Yakou." Ten...

"Tenma?" he repeated, stepping back somewhat. Seto mentioned that name in passing once. 'Tenma', that was...

"That... 'Pegasus'," Anzu repeated, shaking her head and frowning. "In English, that would be Pegasus, but..."

"What exactly happened to Pegasus any way?" Honda muttered, Katsuya growing pale.

"Errrrr..." That. Yes, well... "He uh..." The blond coughed. "Eh... 'Parently he died," he manged to force out, "So..."

"Wait, Pegasus is DEAD-"

"Not important right now," Anzu hissed, Yugi nodding despite his obvious discomfort.

"_Why would someone from I2 appear before us?_" the other Yugi whispered, partner frowning as he voiced his similar worries.

"What does 'I2' want from me?" It was probably a testament to how often this kind of thing happened that their only reaction to the chuckling this guy gave in response was to frown.

"Hnhnhnhnhn... It's obvious isn't it?" the teen chuckled, eyes wide with disturbed cheer. "When a duelist stands before the king, it's the start of a battle. And I am, in all truth, a duelist. Fight with me Yugi," he laughed, pulling an arm and duel disk out from the cloak around his shoulders and clicking it into place. "And when you're defeated," he continued, slowly floating up toward the roof, "Accept the punishment of the Gods. You cannot avoid me," Tenma sneered as he passed through it, looks of somewhat disgusted confusion being made in response. "I'll be waiting on the rooftop..." Eh...

E-Ehhh... Ghooooooosts! "_Does... Anyone else wonder what that was?_" 'Yugi' eventually asked, both Katsuya and the lighter Yugi turning toward him as they slowly closed their mouths.

"It... Vanished into the ceiling..."

"Maybe it really was a ghost," Honda muttered, a hurried yelp of '_don't say that_' coming from Katsuya.

"N-NHHHHHH! Don' even' mention th' word!" he moaned, holding his head. "'S gonna keep me up all night!"

"Should... Um..." The others blinked, turning as Anzu coughed and pointed toward the door. "Should we at least check the roof you think?" Ah...

Oh. "T-Tha's righ'!" he shouted, running past the others and toward the hall. "If he's waitin' up there, we might as well check!"

"Yeah," Honda muttered, racing out behind him and up the stairs, "But who the hell IS he?"

"I dunno, someone Seto-chan hates?"

"Your girlfriend hates everyone," he responded flatly.

"SHE AIN'T-"

"Is there really any point in denying it?" There was right now! He still didn't have his answer, and he...

Don't think about that damn it! The door to the roof was violently flung open, the wide fenced top coming into view. Sure enough Tenma was still standing there, cloak flapping in the wind along with his hair.

"You came," he said calmly, holding his hands out with the closest thing they could see as a smile on his face. The teen chuckled, eyes narrowing with expectancy and mirth both. "Good... It's time to duel," he continued, bringing a foot back in a welcoming gesture. It was, but...

"You... You're not really here, are you?" Yugi said almost bluntly, a bit of a nervous sweat breaking over his forehead.

"_Ah-_" The other Yugi turned at that, as did Katsuya. "_But that can't be right,_" he muttered, blinking a few times. "_That would mean-_"

"He... It's really a ghost then!" Katsuya squeaked out, shuddering somewhat as his face continued to grow white. "Y'... Y' got a dead duelist who wants t' duel w'th y!"

Despite apparently agreeing with him, even the other Yugi had to give Katsuya a look with the last comment. "_Nn... I don't think it's quite like that,_" he coughed, rubbing his head.

"He's probably using solid vision," Yugi continued, biting his lip. "I don't know how but..."

"As one would expect from the King of Duelists," Tenma announced, clapping his hands together. "Quick to see the truth! You're right. This is a hologram, a projection of my real body. But... Should you battle me," he continued nastily, "It will be impossible to hold that title for long. This card I hold here," he continued, the object in question seemingly appearing from thin air in his hand, "Will leave you no chance... Of course," the madman laughed, "If you like, you could back down!"

The two Yugis immediately tensed at the idea of 'giving in', the more violent of the pair growing somewhat red in the face. "What-!"

"WHAT DID YOU JUS' SAY!?" Katsuya snarled, moving to charge forward. "Y' F- ...Ah-!"

A blast of wind roared against the field, Yugi's arm snapping in front of his friend's as the two spirits switched. "I'm not backing down!" the other Yugi snarled, his lighter half momentarily absent from the field from the sudden switch. The boy brought his arm back, eyes narrowed to an almost standardized and battle-ready glare. "I accept your challenge!"

"Hnn?"

That look... Katsuya swallowed, looking back from the hologram and swallowing. "Yugi... I wish I could tell y' more abou' this guy," he muttered, silently cursing the fact that the dreams didn't listen,"But other than th' obvious..."

"Don't worry," he said calmly, pulling his duel disk from his back and loading the deck. "It'll be fine." Right. Fine. Dreams came for a reason after all... "Alright Tenma!" the boy called out, disk clicking into place as he stepped forward. "I'm ready any time... DUEL!"

That was about the last thing he saw before the smoke from around Tenma's form decided to almost completely cut off any of the five senses his body had at his disposal.

* * *

He was in the desert again. That much he knew, but when he dreamed it had never been like this. Even the 'flashes' had never been like this.

It felt almost as though his 'dreams' were superimposed over reality, separating him from himself. That the dream he was having now was a mere afterimage, with the duel happening clearly before his eyes and cheers coming from his lips even as sand blew it all from sight and silenced him by way of confusion.

Cards were being drawn were being read, were being played, were becoming stone on a field becoming a wall of rocks shaped almost like dragons. Growing into the walls of a cavern lit through well placed mirrors and lamps, with numerous carvings covering the walls around him. He could hear a voice, the voice of a child...

But as it registered in his mind he realized that it was far more familiar than that.

'_I don't understand,_' he could hear 'himself' mutter, rubbing a scrap of rough cloth over a bleeding bruise. One of the other kids had chucked a rock at him- how he knew this was another of those 'just because' sorts of things. '_The elders all have shadows_,' 'he' grumbled, crossing his arms in annoyance. '_But why can't they speak? Why aren't they like you?'_ As usual, most of the shadows in the room didn't answer. They traded odd looks, sinking into the corners of the room to whisper to each other in a language he couldn't quite understand for the moment.

The one that did speak, the dragon, merely gave a low and agitated growl. 'T_he times of shadows have changed young one... It would not surprise me if those with your sight were gone in a matter of years from now_,' he added, lowering his head to the boy's side. The boy frowned, turning toward it.

'_But why?'_

'_Again with the questions,_' the dragon chuckled, shaking its head. '_I will tell you another time. Your questions to your people's 'elders' have gotten you in a great deal of trouble boy... With both them and the children of your age,_' he added dryly, tail flicking up from the darkness to bring the cloth back to his charge's face. 'Katsuya' shrugged, despite never once moving from his place on the high-school roof or even flinching under the sting of the cloth as the boy of his illusion did.

'_Not like it matters,_' he said almost proudly. '_I can throw off as many of them that come at me! I'd like to see them try and take me down!_'

'_Hahhh..._' This gained yet another sigh from the dragon, the black monster shaking his head. '_And just what have I said about fighting little one..._'

'_...Not to?_'

The dragon lowered its face to 'Katsuya', chuckling almost wryly. '_Not completely sure why I bother any more... But for now, how about I tell you another story,'_ he continued, the boy at his side perking up considerably. '_Listen close... This is the tale of-'_

The sand vanished in a fierce gale at that moment, a single card picked up from the deck into Yugi's hands. The clouds above had thickened somewhat and with the over all mood in the air it was almost obvious what was about to happen.

"Aw hell," he muttered, grimacing as a trio of sacrifices were prepared on the boy's side of the field for the 'next step'. "Not this again..."

"Want me to cover your mouth for you?" Anzu offered almost sarcastically, the blond merely grimacing at the thought.

"Nah... I think I-"

"I SACRIFICE THREE MONSTERS!" Yugi roared, Katsuya's voice cutting short. His eyes squeezed shut and he bit his lip, waiting for the words to come. Shit. Shit here it came...

Here-

"SAINT DRAGON OF THE SKIES!" he announced, crimson scales breaking through the clouds with a violen roar. "THE GOD OSIRIS!" Wait...

Wait what. "I..." Osiris was there but...

"You... You didn't say anything," Honda muttered, looking to him in apparent shock. After so many other times... Hell, during the fight against the other Malik he counted at least four shots at calling Ra... "But..."

But he hadn't said anything this time. "Why..."

The storm above was being hindered as well Katsuya realized, though at least Osiris himself wasn't having troubles with the summoning. The dragon coiled through the sky to rest just above the group, great and seemingly sightless eyes turned down toward them as its twin mouths grinned. "**I GREET you Little KING,**" he announced, low growling almost sounding like chuckles on the air. "**It would seem your NEXT challenge has JUST BEGUN!**"

"_NEXT challenge?_" the light Yugi protested, looking up to the dragon as his other frowned. "_But what does that-_"

"Look at Tenma's face," Honda muttered under his breath, Yugi attempting to ignore it for the moment to launch his monster's special ability as his partner paled. "Look at his eye!" His eye?

Oh.

_That_ eye.

"ATTACK!" Yugi was snarling, oblivious to the mad stare he was standing under. "THUNDER FORCE!"

"_**RRRRAAAAAOOOOOOOOO!**_"

The smoke and flames that struck the field completely encompassed their opponent, obscuring him from view. Yet despite this Katsuya couldn't help feel that something wasn't right. The ashes had singed the sides of the roof fence, going so far as to leave scorch marks on the ground but something just wasn't right. Although every single one of them knew this there was nothing they could do. Nothing except continue to stiffen in unease as Tenma gave another of his frightening smiles, and as a pressuring feeling that had slowly been growing since his arrival continued to push at Katsuya's head.

"So THIS is Osiris!" the teen laughed, his image slowly becoming clear from behind the fading smoke. His wide eyes seemed to trace the dragon's entire form, Tenma shaking his head slowly as he muttered under his breath. "Amazing!"

"...Tenma..." The dragon's low growling did nothing to hide comments from those on the roof, the apparent CEO's opponent clenching his free fist. "Stop holding back," Yugi hissed, narrowing his eyes. "Show me your true power!"

"My true power?" he asked, a blank tablet slowly appearing to his side with his armored and demonic looking monsters. The hologram chuckled as the monsters did the same, each one appearing to look to their opponent with the same mad incredulity as their master. "Well then... I'll show you power alright..." Kay. He said power but...

Not his? Ohhh, he didn't like this feeling...

Not at all... "My turn," Tenma announced, eyes again widening in crazed excitement. "I activate the magic card Silent Deceased," he began, the tablet that arose now carving itself with the image of the monster that had died just moments before. "The monster you defeated returns to my field to become my third sacrifice," he continued, winged arms breaking free as a leathery black dragon tore from the stone and into the air. UH...

Third!? But the only time they needed three was when-

"And by sacrificing these three monsters, I summon..-"

He could hear words on the air but for once they were not his own.

He barely recognized the speaker as it was.

_'Long ago when Absence and Creation were young, their battles took less subtle means,_' a dragon whispered, all three of the monsters across him on the field slowly collapsing in a rotted heap as their bodies evaporated into a blackened mush. '_There was no time for temptations and guilt in those days... Nay, those days were filled with blades and bloodshed. And while Creation formed children she protected,_' the beast went on, '_Darkness formed but three beings to further spread his influence. The Behemoth,_ ' he began, '_Great in power and horrific in appearance. The Leviathan, the serpent of shadows, the weaver of tongues... More powerful than both of these by far however was the pride and joy of the darkness,_' the dragon hissed, the weakness and strain pushing down even further as clouds seemed to converge only where the black muck formed of sacrificed monsters dripped. '_A creature designed to counter Creation in all her defenses... The shape-changer,'_ he whispered, Katsuya's eyes widening as the black sludge slowly rose. '_He who is the dark to all lights...'_

“THE DEVIL'S AVATAR!" Tenma cackled, the ooze floating upward into a perfect sphere. A single

enormous 'sun', blacker than the deepest end of space and smoothed over completely now sat before them. An anti-thesis to 'Ra'...

A 'god'.

"A GOD that FAR surpasses your own!" the teen sneered, as though to correct Katsuya's thoughts. The monster before them had no voice, and resembled naught but a blackened sphere, a cheap duplicate of the sun. From within however a form could scarcely be seen... A skeletal figure of sorts, with leering eyes and blood stained claws. But just as soon as he'd been able to spot this, the monster's shape began to change, bringing bile to the blond's throat. The sphere stretched, pulled forward and loosely took a new shape.

'_The Devil's Avatar,'_ Tenma was shouting, Katsuya simply wondering how he hadn't lost his lunch yet. '_A counterpart to God, a monster of pure shadows... Now WATCH!_' the teen called out, voice just as distant as the dreams Katsuya was having, '_As the demon changes shape... INTO A BEING THAT SURPASSES OSIRIS COMPLETLY!_' The third 'child'...

The 'shape changer'.

There was no doubt as to what stood before them now he thought with a swallow. Osiris himself drew back with wide eyes as a being matching his form in all but colour appeared, red scales dyed black in a manner matching the air that hung around it. "**What... IS this HERESY?**" the God hissed, 'Avatar' merely grinning as wickedly as its 'master' while further revealing blackened teeth. "**What IS THIS!**" Even Osiris didn't know?

Oh well wasn't that just LOVELY! Even so what they did know was still enough to pin them down with yet more fear and anxiety for the situation. "A black Osiris?" Anzu was muttering, eyes growing somewhat misted as she looked over the beast. The look was almost similar to what she tended to take when pulling up some of Malik's memories actually...

But all the same, with this monster...

"This..." With exactly one attack point more than Osiris, barely surpassing it...

"Gh... You trigger Osiris' effect!" Yugi announced almost hesitantly, attempting to steel his resolve under the pressure of the second God. "By summoning a new monster to the field," he forced out, "Osiris' first mouth opens! NOW! ATTAC-"

Yugi's words were cut short by the thundering force that escaped the God's upper maw, the lightning and electricity merely sinking into Avatar's body as though it were made of the same substance. There was no effect from the attack. Nothing to even show it happened outside the ash on the cement and fence.

And as Tenma's grin grew, Yugi muttering curses under his breath, the teen explained. "Hnhnhnhn.. You know full well there's a 'system' to these things don't you?" he hissed, all eyes turning to him from the monster with fear. "Among the three Gods a pyramid of power is formed," Tenma sneered, "With the Sun God Ra at the top. The Devil's Avatar is a God with similar ranking," he continued, mad grin widening. "In fact... You could say that he's 'equal' with your 'RA'!" Wh-

"E...Equal with..."

"The same as RA?"

"**Blasphemy... BLASPHAMEY!**" What he said. "**WE DESTROYED YOU,**" Osiris snarled, shaking his head in disbelief. "**SEALED YOU TO THE PITS OF THE ENDS OF TIME!**"

At this it was not merely Tenma who was chuckling. In fact, it seemed that as Katsuya took a trembling step back the 'second Osiris' voice spoke with him, not that anyone else could hear that.

"**Hnhnhnhnhn... There is NOTHING that surpasses THIS power,**" the monster sneered, eyes narrowing in superior mirth. "**FOOLS... I am the CARRIER of MISFORTUNE, the HERALD of DEATH... Face my ATTACK!**" he cackled, "**You who carry LIGHT'S blood... HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!**"

"Darkness..." Dark...

"DARKNESS SHOURAIDAN!" Shit.

"Y-YUGI!" Katsuya shouted with a strangely hoarse cry, the black flames ahead of them barreling forward as Yugi looked upward. "YU-"

"_**RRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_"

Through the sounds of the monster's roar the fires seared the roof completely, and for a moment they could see nothing. Like Yugi and like the other Yugi they found themselves shielding their eyes, arms held above their faces as a shield against the black 'light'. Just what was this card, he wanted to scream, slowly opening his eyes to a field shrouded by the Avatar's power. What was this thing, what was this monster?

The thing in his 'dream' perhaps? If it was a counter to the Gods, that made sense. But it didn't feel right. And the words it had said...

Those words...

"Osiris," Anzu whispered in shock, the wind slowly dying down. The great and red-scaled dragon was gone, all trace of it destroyed. The only visible remains of the ashes were fading away with it... And all that was left was a sneering 'Avatar'. "In one hit," she whispered, eyes wide. "One... And it was destroyed... This monster..." This...

This _GOD_...

The Avatar's black form was again melting they realized with disgust. Melting back into a perfect sphere that caught their attention completely, forming a single black sun once more. The counterpart to Ra, right down to the skeletal 'griffin' inside... The 'Shape Changer'. The 'Avatar' of the Darkness.

"The 'Ja-Shin'," Tenma sneered, pulling his card free from the duel disk. Immediately thereafter the monster sank into a black puddle again, its ooze seeping into its owner's duel disk. Forfeiture.

Tie.

All the illness that had been creeping into his being vanished, leaving Katsuya to swallow hoarsely as he levelled a glare across the roof. Tenma had the advantage but he'd ended the duel regardless- an act that was probably even worse than simply going through to the end. But whatever reason he was doing it for didn't matter right now. The 'Ja-Shin', the 'Evil Gods'...

"The counterparts to the Gods." This...

"Bastard," Katsuya snarled, the 'field' that had been held vanishing in an instant with fragments of the pressure he'd felt. "Pegasus dies an you decide t' make yer own game breakin' cards!" Mirroring a monster with one extra point? What the hell was that! "THIS IS BULLSHIT!" he snarled louder nonetheless remaining where he stood. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!"

"Oh no... Don't misunderstand," the hologram whispered. He brushed a bit of hair back, before holding the card forward and smirking. "This card was designed long ago. A god formed out of hesitation and fear. You might think the God Cards were his greatest mistake," he went on almost bemusedly. "But Pegasus-sama's image of the Ja-Shin was so fearful that he hesitated to even touch them... That's beside the point," he continued, dread rising still further into the air as his tone darkened. "You've taken everything from me Yugi... My teacher," Tenma whispered, "My family... So I'm going to take something from you..." What..?

"What..." ...Why did it suddenly feel like things had just gotten worse again? "What is this?" Anzu suddenly whispered, the others turning back in horror. She was holding her hand before her with wide eyes, stepping back and looking back to her body as some... Thing began to eat away at it. As her hand slowly burned from the palm out, the burn travelling up her arm...

Smoke. Her body was smoking, misting away... "Anzu-!"

Within seconds her arms were gone, the woman looking over herself in panic. "ANZU!"

Her legs had misted into nothing, and as Yugi reached out toward her the woman turned her head back and-

"Yug-"

Smoke. Smoke and air. That was all that was left in a matter of seconds, leaving the three boys frozen on the rooftop with nothing but their friend's horrified face burned into their minds. "She... She vanished," Honda finally said, shaking his head in disbelief. "She... She..."

"TENMA!” Yugi snarled, his lighter half staring at where his friend had been in shock. "WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HER!"

"HHAHAHAH_AHAHAHAAA_! It hurts doesn't it?" the teen cackled in response, ignoring the screamed threats before him. "To lose something you love? I've had Mazaki Anzu's body for the last number of hours," he continued with a sneer, "Right where it needs to be for my 'project'..."

"Project?" Katsuya repeated incredulously. "What th' hell are you-"

"'R.A.'," Tenma chuckled, seemingly hovering in the air. "That girl is the sacrifice that will set my goal in motion, the penance for your crimes... But you know," he continued, the three that had prepared to charge him stopping abruptly, "You want a chance to save her as well, right?"

"A chance to- Then she's safe?" Yugi asked, teeth grinding at the expression their friend's captor had. "She's alright!"

"Well..." 'Well'? "For the moment," he 'admitted', giving a subtle careless shrug. "But even right now, before the project is even finished I can't guarantee that..."

"What..." Even now?

It already started! "The project has just completed PHASE TWO," Tenma announced, gesturing far off to the distant edge of Domino. "With Phase One a complete success; complete control over Kaiba Corporation's main office and systems!" What what wh-

"K- YOU TOOK OVER TH' COMPANY!?" Katsuya shouted incredulously, only to be cut off by Yugi.

"You kidnapped Anzu," he hissed, eyes shadowed as he stepped forward. "And now you're talking about sacrifice. This... What are you planning?!" he roared, expression almost desperate. "WHAT ARE YOU-"

"Revenge." The boys froze yet again, eyes momentarily widening. The tone that Tenma had taken was lucid, and frighteningly so. There were no mad games surrounding this, no desires for some ancient item. Yet the voice did not instill the same fear that the other Malik had. With him it was simple; he existed to kill. But Tenma's desires...

"...R... Revenge?" Honda repeated, their target's expression cold as he began to smoke from the air. Revenge for what!

"Mazaki Anzu and myself are currently located in Kaiba Corporation's building," Tenma told them. "Where the third phase of the project has begun. If you wish to save her," he continued with a sneering grin, "Then by all means try... Come, and find me, and try and stop me. I have placed many obstacles in your path," the teen chuckled, seeming to flame as he gave a mocking bow. "But regardless of how many you defeat in the end, you WILL face punishment at the hands of the Ja-Shin... SO," he laughed, crackling from existence with one word. "I'll see you then..." W- No...

No... "Come back here," Katsuya muttered, shaking his head before charging the smoking mess. "GET BACK HERE! TENMA!" Nothing but smoke met with his fists at those shouts, and with pale skin and wide eyes the trio found themselves standing in silence.

"What..." Yugi swallowed, looking back to the other two with an expression of confusion that his friends never expected to see from the former 'Pharaoh'. "...What have we gotten ourselves into now?"


	2. Tsel

This is a story from long ago.

Many many years before, when the earth was but dust in the sky, there was Chaos. An empty existence that simply 'was'. Chaos however, as empty as it was, was not stagnant. It existed, and it grew, until finally it could no longer be as it 'was'. It burst into an explosion of new existence, a formation of magic and power...

A formation of two great and ageless beings who remain with us to this day, ever growing, ever changing.

The first being was Darkness. An entity of death, and of destruction, even to the things that had yet to be born. It was a being who could not feel true delight, save for within the presence of the despair it so caused. The second being was Light, a creator, a bringer of life and of growth. A creature whose despair could only be brought by the senseless destruction wrought by her brother, whose tears fell only when her creations were left in pain.

For all that Light did, there would be a reaction from Darkness. And in all that Darkness did, there would be an answering force from Light. For together these two beings were locked in a never ending cycle, a spiral of defeat and success, of love and hate, of good and of evil. And between them, there were two realms to call their own...

The realm of darkness, an endless void filled with torment and despair. A realm where only the dead could reside, where only the souls of the forgotten, the hopeless, and the lost could remain.

And the realm of light which we live in now, our realm of secrets and spirits beyond anything man can imagine.

It is between these realms that there lay another world however, young Ancient. A third world, a world of balance formed from the scraps and dredges of light and darkness. A domain where the powers of both beings intersect. A world...

Of shadows.

Light and Darkness did not enjoy the presence of the other, if that was not already obvious to you young Ancient. They were constantly locked in competition, never winning, never losing. This struggle brought destruction and creation both, bringing never ending grief of all forms to both sides.

And from the wreckage of their battle came a people who would do the same. Beings of light and darkness both, with a desire to endlessly battle in all of their waking moments. Beings who could not die, and yet did so many times with honor. These monsters, variant in size and form, became the shadows you know now.

When Light discovered the shadows that lay between her realm and that of her brother's, she became intrigued. Such beings formed without intention... What would happen then, if she formed something herself, formed something with a plan, with an idea of what would be created? And so, using these shadows as basis Light moved to her own realm; she took the soil and elements available to her from the dust, and formed all that you see now. She carved the mountains tall and the deserts vast. She sculpted the reeds of the river and the crocodiles which swim within them. She created man...

And all that man was capable of.

But Darkness did not know of this. He did not know of the people that lay between their realms, and was unaware of this advantage that Light had formed over him. And so when he did become so aware of all that had passed without his knowledge his rage grew strong... Stronger than it had ever been before.

Unable to form life of his own, he told Light that for all she created he himself would destroy. '_This life that you have formed will come to an end,_' he warned. '_If not today then tomorrow, if not tomorrow then the day afterward. I will not be defeated by the likes of you._' He would plant seeds of himself in all of her children, and when the time was right those seeds would blossom.

Light would not back down so easy however. She called forth the shadows of the neutral realms, and forged with them a deal. '_On your own, you are unable to enter my world,_' she told them, bathing the monsters in her light without burning them as it normally would. '_However, should you promise to protect all that I have created, I will grant you such passage. I will allow you to breathe the air of my realms, to taste the fruits of my trees_.' The shadows agreed, unable to resist the pleasures of the world of light. And one by one, they bound themselves to the souls of the people of light, taking with them their friends and family under the protection of Light's gaze. And it is from this bond that a new people arose...

While the Darkness waited, ever patient, for the moment where his own children could strike.

* * *

Somehow the Kaiba Corp building looked a hell of a lot taller now that they stood before it in the last hour or so of the afternoon. It had always been tall granted. If anything the tower resembled most other business buildings, being tall, mirrored and rectangular, with a heli-pad at the top and the company logo somewhere on the building's wall. One key difference of course, was the trio of BlueEyes statues around it...

But really that was probably expected with who ran the place, and if they didn't have time to tell Bakura and Otogi what they were doing then they didn't have time to stop and stare at the giant white stone dragons.

"So this is where they took her," Katsuya muttered, swallowing a slight wave of nausea. Just looking up the sides was making him sick now. "Sheesh... F'r a buildin' like this, it attracts some pretty d'sgustin' people..." He blinked, before turning to the side- something had moved in the corner of his eye. Some sort of shadow. This wasn't from a vision, but- "AH- Yu-"

A card sliced through the air, his friend immediately snatching it as it came toward his face. Briefly, he had a look of shock on his face, the boy staring at the small paper cut that the card had given him. A small line of red slowly made itself visible, an audible hiss coming through the air as a result. Looking at the card however...

Well, why not pay more attention to the one who threw it he decided. "OI! Who's there!" Katsuya snarled, Honda turning just as quickly while the two Yugis stared at the weapon in growing horror and shock.

"Don't bother hiding," his friend snarled, his fists clenched tightly. "We know you're up there!"

Katsuya nodded, "Tha's righ'," he chorused, cracking his knuckles. "SO C'MON OUT! RIGH-"

A lazy voice came through the air, accompanied by a relaxed sigh. "_Hold your horses_," he muttered in English, the words going in one ear and out the other as the boys traded frowns. "I'm coming, I'm coming..." Ah?

A tall, wavy haired man stepped forward, chuckling as he adjusted the duel disk on his wrist. For a moment, he almost looked familiar- his eyes, though quite clearly not from Japan, looked like something he'd seen before. The sense of familiarity vanished just as soon as he spotted the dueldisk on his arm however, Katsuya's brief expression of mild surprise vanishing rather quickly.

"My my," the man muttered. "You're impatient. Ah, but whatever... Welcome to the 'stairs of conflict'!" he announced, cracking his neck with a grin and gesturing to the stage before him. "You're right on time!" Gh...

"Y' talk pretty big," Katsuya muttered, looking toward the man with narrowed eyes. The accent he spoke with certainly seemed foreign. Maybe American, he thought to himself. He wouldn't be surprised; given the leather riding chaps and the overall look of the guy, he wasn't from 'down town' or anything similar.

Still, why did he seem familiar?

Maybe he was related to someone in his class or something. You never knew.

He didn't get the chance to ask however; the others beat him to it. "Are you from Industrial Illusions?" Honda called out, stance still ready enough to launch an attack if needed. "Are you working with Tenma!"

"Tenma, yes," the man said with a smirk. Another low chuckle met the air, and he continued. "Industrial Illusions... No." No? He stepped closer to the center of the building's entrance, cracking his knuckles and blocking the door. "You could say I'm a 'mercenary'," he continued plainly. "Hired by Tenma to block your way. 'Card Professor Deschutes Lew'," he laughed. "One of the thirteen heads from the American League!" The le-

This was- "Hang on a second," Honda muttered, narrowing his eyes. "The 'Card Professors'... Wasn't that the same group Rebecca mentioned when we met her?"

Katsuya nodded. "Yeah. Th' league that r'fused her entrance b'cause of her age..." They hadn't found out until much later how much of a gap that was for her actually- Limit was 14 evidently, and it was something she was fairly sore over. "But-"

"You..." The teens looked back, watching as Yugi seemed to shake with rage. The look on his face had been mixed with shock for a fair amount of time already; it seemed however that he'd decided to speak only now though. "This card-!"

That card? The others looked over his shoulder, blood draining from their face the instant they caught the image. A stunned and wide-eyed face behind a set of bars... "Oh hell," Katsuya muttered, stepping back as his eyes glanced over the 'title' of the card. "Anzu... A soul pr'son card w' ANZU!"

"Just like the ones Pegasus used," Honda whispered, before looking back to Deschutes in horror. "Exactly like..."

"Hey," he chuckled with a shrug, a small look of unease visible despite the action. "Don't look at me like that now! I'm just delivering a message; my employer gave that to me while meeting with the rest of the professors at the top of the tower. If you plan to reach him," Deschutes went on in apparent amusement, "Then you'll have to defeat me in a duel first." Duels?

"Again w' th' duels," Katsuya muttered, only just now remembering his own disk back in the house. "'S great we ain't usin' fists but who th' hell thought this up?" Honda shrugged, and in response to the challenge the other Yugi wordlessly moved forward. The message was clear. '_I'll fight you'_, he seemed to say. '_And no matter what, I'll win..._'

"DUEL START!" the two chorused, disks clacking into place as they drew cards.

"Duel start," the others muttered in response, shaking their heads. Fuck this was surreal. At least things were back to 'normal' though he thought to himself, watching as the dark 'film' came over them to herald the battle's beginning. The 'arena' limits were set into place and insults were being traded as per the usual... Mostly. This time, the insults came only from one side. While Deschutes was busy grinning and talking about how sorry he felt that the other twelve duelists inside wouldn't get their fight, Yugi merely stared across the field with a look of complete ice. Strange...

He'd have thought that stare was tightly fenced into the Kaiba family, not that he blamed the guy for borrowing it. "I'll go first!" he spat, stone already rising up from the ground with his words. "First, I set one face down card... And then," he continued, the second tablet carving an image without a single sign of hesitancy, "I summon the Queen's Knight! End turn!"

The red Queen kicked out from the stone before the image could even finish carving itself from existence, sword held high as she came to rest upon the field. As their opponent began to chuckle however, she frowned, fist tightening its grip upon the blade. "_...He finds our battle amusing?_" she hissed incredulously, the American across from them merely smirking at the expression his opponent held. "_He dares?_" The woman's snarled protests were cut short, their opponent glancing over the field and shaking his head.

"Hn... First turn," he said calmly, "And already you're preparing to summon a God Card! Hnhnhahahaha..." He drew his card, setting another on the field as a large stone wall rose up with a carving soon to follow despite the lack of mist. "Don't think I'll let it happen so easily! I summon the Mobile Fortress, Gear Golem," he announced, the stone halting in place to sit dormant. "Defense mode!" Defens-

"D'fense mode?" Katsuya shouted. Sheesh... "Tch- Big mouth f'r someone who starts out w' nothin' but defense!"

Deschutes' smirk grew. "Not quite 'nothing but'," he stated clearly, low chuckling bringing a few frowns to those watching. Not qui-

Oh, Katsuya found himself thinking as two more tablets appeared to fence their summoner in from the sides.

That.

"I set two cards face down and end my turn!" That was great- but why the hell did it form a fortress around him? The question was left unsaid, Katsuya opting to listen to his friend's opponent for the moment instead of asking himself things he couldn't answer. "So, 'Duel King'," the man laughed, tapping a few buttons on the duel disk before his grin widened. "Lets see what your 'God' does."

The taunt was feeble; that much was obvious, and it was enough that both Katsuya and Honda were holding their tongues as Yugi snorted.

"Tch. It doesn't matter what kind of strategy you're using," Yugi growled, "WE will shatter it! My turn," he continued, pulling the next card from his deck as a tablet rose beside that of the Queen's. "I summon the King's Knight," the boy announced, a third tablet rising between them. The image upon the stone slowly carved itself with wisps of smoke, and gold and orange armor slowly made its way forward. Yet another tablet was rising however; and just as the King began to appear, so did the third warrior. "Now that the King and Queen are on the field," Yugi 'explained', "I bring forth the Jacks Knight... Moreover!" he roared, the two blade wielding knights stepping out from the stone with expressions to match their origin, "I equip the Jack's Knight with the Sword of Lightning! ATTACK!" he roared, the knight pulling his now sparking blade back to rush forward into a charge. "THUNDER BREAK SWORD!"

"_GHH-!_" The moment the blade made contact with stone the face down tablet to the side crumbled. A vortex of sand and dust arose, and as the Jack's Knight pulled back his summoner paled.

"Trap card activated," Deschutes chuckled, left side left exposed with the vanished stone. "Negate Attack. How dangerous," he sighed, shaking his head as he smirked. "I'm not about to let your attack come through; for this turn all damage dealt to me is 'zero'," the man continued, drawing his next card. "Which brings it to mine! First," he announced, "I sacrifice this monster to summon a new one; the Castle Gate, in defense mode," Deschutes called out, the stone before him growing taller and wider upon the field.

Even if points were left from the considerations it was obvious which side had the advantage at the moment; the wall was far too thick and far too wide for the monsters to properly get around, with the 'door' on its front showing no signs of giving in. Which was more or less why he was as pissed as he was.

Deschute's reactions helped though he supposed. "HAHAHAHA! An iron wall!" the man howled, grin wide. "Not a single thing can get through..."

"Which means Jack's Knight attack won't affect him at all," Honda muttered, eyes widening somewhat as the knight in question sheathed his blade and scowled. "Shit..." If only it were in attack mode, Katsuya thought dryly. They'd be done by now.

"But... With a monster that has no attack points there has to be something else right?" Yugi added, Katsuya's eyes narrowing. "...Right?" Well...

Probably, but he was kind of thinking otherwise! Of course time and time again it seemed the 'bad guys' so to speak actually had logic on their side, so he probably should have seen that coming.

"Don't think you're getting off easy now," their opponent was saying, still tapping the buttons of the duel disk and flipping cards to match the actions. "I'm not done yet!" Oh of course not! "Activate the spell Brain Control!" Deschutes called out, withered hands appearing from a dusty tablet with the words. "Giving me the Jack's Knight and allowing me to utilize the Door's ability!" Ability?

The sound of a cannon met his ears, and abruptly Katsuya paled. The hands already had the Knight completely spell bound... "Shit- YUG-"

Too late, he realized quickly enough. And given Yugi's expression, the duelist had caught on rather quick himself. "MONSTER CANNON!" Deschutes roared, the Jack's Knight having been blissfully led away by the spell cards hands before finding himself rudely shoved into the tablet's twin doors. "Inflicting his attack on your life points directly!"

The doors swung open instantly in response, and before anyone could comprehend the sight of a cannon appearing between them they were more or less covering their ears.

-_BRM_

"GH_GN_-"

Though the cannon ball formed from the remains of the Jack's Knight apparently passed through him Yugi still doubled in pain. The remainder of the Knight's tablet was nothing for defense- it shattered the moment its armor broke through, and continued on to slam against Yugi's stomach. Unable to speak for a moment he clutched his middle, gasping for air and fixing his eyes on the ground as his monsters turned to him in worry. Across from him, Deschutes was laughing of course...

'_How does it feel?_' he howled coldly, '_To be hit in the stomach by your own monsters?_'

The monsters themselves merely narrowed their eyes, holding their tongues in response... But the words of their opponent were apparently enough to snap him out of the momentary pain that the cannon left him in. "...My turn," he said lowly, drawing his next card. He looked over his hand with shadowed eyes for the next number of moments, staring at the one he'd drawn before snapping his gaze upward. This move-

Katsuya blinked, before finding himself smirking. Only the third move, but this was definitely 'it'. He still couldn't see it as clear as he normally would...

But this was definitely the 'last turn'. "I sacrifice the King's Knight and the Queen's Knight," he began, the pair both closing their eyes with similar expressions of calm as they collapsed into a spiral of dust. "And I summon the Dark Magician! From this point on!" he snarled, the dust forming one single tablet and being upon the field, "These friends of mine won't allow you to do as you wish!"

"_Well put,_" the magician responded, stepping onto the ground as the dust blew down to a clear sky again. Hell yea it was 'well put'. ...But...

Why did it feel like there was...

Deschutes stared for a moment, blinking a few times as he looked over the magician. One. Two. And... "Gh... DHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHHA!" W-What the fuck! "Activate trap!" he shouted scarcely keeping his laughter from cutting the words short. "Overbearing trade! With the sacrifice of my monsters and half of my life points!" he shouted, the Magician finding himself rather swiftly pulled to the other side of the field to hang in mid air at the duelist's side as the remaining tablets crumbled out of existence, "I take control of all your monsters! So much for 'your' 'friend'!" he laughed, the magician pulling at unseen bonds in the air with a scowl. The chuckling continued, and with crossed arms Deschutes looked over to the monster with a smirk. "Looks like your cute friend here will finish things for me..." Ehehehe... Uh...

What. "...Did... He say cute?" Honda repeated, pointing over. Yugi's expression of confidence hadn't yet changed after all; they didn't likely have much to worry about in regards to what the trap had done. But...

"_. . .Please finish this,_" the Dark Magician muttered, face pulled into obvious unease from where he hung in mid air. "_. . . Now_."

"Aha... Hah... Y-Yugi... Y' might wanna..." Might wanna listen.

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." The tablet on Yugi's side of the field began to carve itself out, the invisible restraints holding the magician vanishing. "I thought I said that they wouldn't allow you to do as you wish," he chuckled, the magician stalking back over to his side of the field with shadowed eyes and a somewhat put off expression while their opponent paled. "Reveal face down," Yugi called out, "Owner's Mark! The Magician returns to my control!" he roared, the Magician taking aim with his staff. "And I enter my battle phase... GO," he ordered. "ATTACK! "BLACK MAGIC! " The electricity shot forward instantly, surrounding their opponent completely. Direct hit...

They won. "Gh- EOOO_OOOOOO_!" Deschutes raised his arm in defense, attempting to block the blinding light from the Magician. Half of 4000 was 2000- an easy destruction for the Dark Magician to take care of- so with the attack now complete and slowly blowing away, there was nothing more to do.

"_Hn!_" The mage twirled his staff, tablets slowly sinking into the ground as he looked back to his summoner. "_I'll take my leave, my Pharaoh,_" he said calmly, turning to give his summoner a curt nod. To Katsuya's slight surprise, the boy nodded- So then...

He'd heard? '_Of course he did,_' came a muffled voice from his own deck, '_He could always see them it was only a matter of time!_' Er...

Really? Was that really how it worked? (And how the hell did they manage to speak through his bag...)

Honda and Katsuya both walked up the stairs, looking toward the now defeated professor as he stumbled onto his knees against the backlash of the 'holographic' attack. "Hah... Three moves," the man was muttering, slowly reaching into his pocket for something. "Three..." He pulled himself up as the other Yugi approached, shaking his head and holding out a blank, plastic card.

"...And this is?" the boy asked, only for Katsuya to stare and blink.

"Ah- Hang on a sec," he muttered, pulling out a similar card from his pocket. Most of the card was white; however, there was also a black band along the side, along with the KaibaCorp logo across the front. "Tha's one of th' buildin's key cards..! How-"

"Each of the others hold a card like this," Deschutes said stiffly, tossing it to his former opponent with a neutral expression in place. The statement alone made it obvious what 'how' meant- with that in mind, they continued to listen. "Beside the fact that they won't be handing them over until you beat them, these cards are keyed into all doors before the following duelist. No other cards will work," he added, sending a humored look to Katsuya as he moved to try his own on the front door. "So don't bother."

The blond cursed, pocketing his card and glaring at the door before them. "Tch. Figures. Damn Tenma..."

As Deschutes rolled his eyes Honda frowned, the other two Yugis busying themselves with setting the disk right and replacing the cards in their deck. "I don't suppose you could tell us where the 'following' duelist is then?" he asked, adjusting his grip on a school-bag that he hadn't bothered to leave behind.

"The next one?" He blinked, jerking his head toward the door. "Head for the staff elevator. I'm assuming you know where that is," he added, looking toward Katsuya. "Given your own card..."

Again the blond blinked, before nodding. "Er... Yea. Jus' past th' lobby..."

"Then you can deal with the rest yourselves," Deschutes said with a yawn, stretching and heading back down the steps. "If the one I think is there, she'll make herself obvious. ...Man! I never expected to end up out of the running so quick though... 'King of Duelists' indeed," he chuckled, Yugi in question frowning at the remark.

"You..."

"_I think I'll do a bit of sight seeing,_" the man continued absently, slipping into English as the boys stared. "_Find a cafe... Meet someone new... I think I have a cousin here somewhere, hn..._" Um...

He was pretty sure he recognized the word 'cafe' in there, but did anyone else catch whatever the hell he'd just said? Katsuya shook his head, turning as the current 'ghost half' of Yugi tapped him on the shoulder.

"We don't have time," he said plainly, his friend nodding in response. Right.

"Alrigh' then... In we go," Katsuya decided, the other Yugi having already moved beside him with Honda to open the door. "T' th' next duelist!" he shouted, walking into the building.

For the most part a lot of the halls were dark. The lobby was lit only by the light from the immense glass windows and door at the front, leaving the hall at the side completely bathed in shadow. It was almost eerie actually; it reminded him of a haunted house, something that managed to send small shudders down his spine. Entering the second lobby, which would lead to the elevator, brought just as much confusion as it did a dull illumination on said darkness.

"AH- What the hell-"

The boys tensed as they turned the corner, faces instantly blasted with a wave of synthetic fog. It took up most of the air in the room- inhaling a nice big chunk of it was not making him feel any better either.

"Agggh... What is this, obon?" Honda hissed, coughing as he waved an arm in his face. Katsuya shuddered, mirroring the action with a grimace as he attempted to clear himself some airspace. "I dunno, but don' r'mind me of Obon; las' time I saw fog on Obon..." Was horrible. Horrible.

"You just about pissed yourself last time there was a fog machine on Obon," his friend chuckled, Katsuya growing red in the face.

"Gh- I told y' not t' mention it!"

"_What are you two even talking about?_" Yugi muttered, his other half merely searching the fogged hall for the next duelist and paying the mist no mind. He watched as his friends quickly entered a scuffle, pushing and pulling at the others fists as they bickered.

"Oh come on," Honda was snickering, a few coughs coming between laughs. "You can't say that it wasn't the most hilarious way for Kimodameshi to fail ever!" he laughed, pushing his friend back and ducking a swipe.

"It ain' hilarious it's cruel damn it!" So stop talking about it pleaaaaaase. Yugi blinked.

"_You guys went through kimodameshi?_" He wasn't going to answer that.

"Keheheheh..." Again Honda ducked a swipe from his friend, laughing. "Gonna have to do better than that..!"

"Gh-! Get back here! I'll show you better!" he snarled, lunging at the teen before the other Yugi's voice cut them off.

"Quiet," he hissed, the two immediately freezing. "They're coming! Can't you hear it?" Hear-

A shadow of a woman came to mind, accompanied by a tall figure that reeked of death. "Th' next card pr'fessor..." His breath stuck in his throat, the blond turning to squint through the fog. There was nothing but a curtain of white. "Where 's she..."

"She?" Honda questioned, Katsuya opening his mouth only for someone else to speak first.

"That's right," a calm voice answered, high heels clacking against the tiled floor. A blonde young woman walked forward, already prepared duel disk held forward as she nodded. "I have to say, you know how to keep a woman waiting. Welcome to my battle field," she said calmly, the fog seeming to clear as she smiled. "My name is 'Tilla Mook'... And I will be your next opponent." Ah-

Honda and Katsuya both smirked, Yugi struggling not to do the same despite the fact that Tilla wouldn't see or hear him regardless. "Gh... Hihhh... 'Mook'," he whispered. "Seriously?"

"_Shhhh! This is ser... This is serious,_" Yugi laughed, his other half standing ahead and resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

Honda threw off his own quiet bout of laughter, looking around and whistling. Yugi was right; not the time.

(But seriously, 'mook'?)

"Damn... You 'professors' like to show off don't you?" he said clearly, Tilla modestly bowing her head.

"Hn... It's only fitting," she said rather simply, a shadow seeming to part the fog further. "This field is where my master sleeps, after all." Uh...

Kay..? "M... Master?" Katsuya muttered with a swallow, before drawing back as a spirit hovered behind her. Ohhhhh fuck fuck fuck _fuck fuck_

"_Yes,_" the Vampire behind Tilla sneered, placing a comforting hand on his summoner's shoulder. "_Master. If you would watch and learn, puny 'ancient'..._" Again with the ancient..! And holy crap why did it have to be a fucking vampire?

Any retort he thought of was cut short yet again as Tilla smiled, half-lidded eyes staring toward them in an almost haunting show of anticipation. "My master's identity matters little to you," she said calmly, eyes flickering toward Katsuya. "Compared to the Duelist King, with a prize of 10,000 dollars on defeat your 'ten' is worthless. Stand aside and wait for the end," she continued coolly, Katsuya growling under his breath. Ten...

"TEN DOLLARS?!" he snarled, held back by a sighing Honda and 'light' Yugi as he growled. "Tha's barely 1,000 yen y' prissy vampire bitch!"

She blinked, her opponent as well turning as the blond seethed. "Hn... Quite the mouth. It still doesn't change 'Mr. Tenma's view of your worth however," Tilla chuckled, looking back as the other Yugi took a more battle ready stance.

"WHAT KINDA PRIZE IS TEN BUCKS!"

"Jonouchi, calm down!"

"_J-Jonouchi-kun...!_"

"Plenty," Tilla retorted, her gaze sharpening each moment it was left on the blond. "Now please... I'm trying to prepare for a duel here," she muttered, a growl coming from the vampire at the side as Katsuya deflated.

"_Cool it, brat._" Gh-!

"Nyyyhhhhhh..." Ten... O-One thousand yen...

And the vampire... And...

...Gh...

Damn that Tenma!

Yugi clicked his duel disk into place, stepping forward with a curt nod. "Are you ready?" he called out, his opponent nodding in response.

"But of course- now... DUEL!" she called out, the field scarcely changing under the usual film of the battle. "I'll move first! Set one card face down," Tilla began, the tablet rising with a coating of black ash as the vampire to her side stood from behind to watch. The blackened stone seemed to have rounded the corners from the top, and as a small mound of soil followed Katsuya shuddered- a tombstone. "Following that," Tilla continued, a second black grave arising to carve itself out with an almost liquid substance rather than mist, "I summon the 'Blood Sucker' to the field!" Blood sucker?

Katsuya grimaced as a rather grotesque mix between human and vampire bat clambered out from the stone, before perching at the top to stretch its wings and hiss. Oh. That was...

Pleasant. (Was it seriously sticking its tongue out at him, or was that just the monster's face?) "Your move now Yugi," Tilla said with a smile, her opponent scowling.

"Tch... I know," he responded. His card was drawn, expression tight as he stared across the field; most likely his thoughts and the lighter Yugi's were the same right now. Why summon such a weak monster with no effect? Nonetheless, he continued with his own turn, a tablet already rising from the ground and carving itself an image of a monster. "I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior," he decided, the gold coloured 'robot' leaping from the stone with a nod. "Now... Attack Tilla's monster!" he ordered, the monster nodding.

"_Roger-that,_" it exclaimed monotonously. "_H-AH! BETA-MAGNET-PUNCH!_"

With one swift blow the stone beneath Blood Sucker's feet crumbled, the monster in question clattering to the ground to follow in a pile of ash. The ground seemed to shudder beneath the body's remains, and eventually it sank from sight completely. As the blow from Beta's fist blew back a few wisps of fog however Yugi's expression of suspicion remained unchanged, just as his opponent's smile.

The warrior himself seemed to notice this, pausing and turning back uneasily. "_. . .AH. Boss-?_"

Tilla chuckled, tapping the duel disk as an image began to etch itself into her blank tombstone. Again a blood-like liquid was seeping from the cracks, Katsuya growing rather pale as he looked away. "Your 'Beta's attack has activated my trap," she said calmly, tapping the side of the duel disk. "Reveal face down card... 'Thirst for Blood', allowing me to special summon one Vampire monster to the field. I choose 'Vampire Lady'," she continued, a rather beautiful if not obviously dead woman stepping out from the stone with a calm smile. If not for the blue skin, he'd probably say something actually. As it was...

Someone finish the duel, _now_.

"Hnnn..." Yugi's eyes narrowed, the boy looking over the field suspiciously before taking two more cards from his hand. The Vampire Lady wasn't much more powerful than Blood Sucker after all; so there was still a question of what was going on. "I set two face down cards," he announced, bringing his arm back as Beta returned to his side as well. "End turn. ...Tilla," he continued, frown still unchanging. "You stated that this was where your 'master' slept?" Yeah, except he wasn't sleeping Katsuya mentally added with a shudder.

Probably bored to tears, but not sleeping...

He shook himself as Yugi chuckled, only to pale further when he noticed that the vampire at Tilla's side had now snapped to attention. "Hnhnhnhnhn... Why don't you show me just who this 'master' of yours is?" he challenged, opponent's smile growing in response. Oh come on, did...

Did they really need to- "A challenge?" Tilla asked with a chuckle, drawing her next card. No, it wasn't, please don'- "Well well... I accept, 'little Yugi'. I find that sort of challenge quite agreeable..." The woman chuckled still more, looking over her hand before nodding. "Very well," she announced, waving a hand over the field to switch cards as the Vampire behind her vanished. "I'll show you the master within my deck! I sacrifice the Vampire Lady to summon him!" she continued, the woman's tomb crumbling and erupting into a cloud of dust that surrounded her completely. The spirit at Tilla's side vanished... "ARISE, my Master... CURSE OF VAMPIRE!"

"_Hnhnhnhnhnhnhn... HnhnHaHAHA..!_" The dust blew from the spot all at once as a robed figure appeared, fangs revealed in a leering grin. "_At last_," he hissed, licking his lips. "_A worthy opponent..._" K-Kay...

Someone keep the vampire from talking please...

As Yugi stared his opponent merely smirked, pointing her monster forward with a nod. "Now..! GO, my master! Your will is my own! Strike the Magnet Warrior down!" she ordered, the monster charging to do just that. "POISON CLAW STRIKE!"

For a moment Katsuya wanted to ask what the hell poison would do to the Magnet Warrior. In fact as the Vampire's claws sank into the metal of its body, it looked like both monsters were about to ask the same thing. With no blood to carry the poison through his body, all the Vampire had managed to do was wedge his hand into the monster's body. Eventually however, the Vampire sighed.

"_Hah... Hold still for a moment,_" he decided, grabbing the warrior's head as the duelists stared.

"_Um..._" Alright... If Yugi could see his monsters...

"..." And... Tilla could see hers...

Well wasn't this an interesting image?

"_...Are-you-done-yet?_" the Magnet asked, looking awkwardly to the side as the Vampire searched around through its circuitry. "_Because-this-is-all-very-_" Abruptly the robot's eyes grew dim, the Vampire tossing its metal husk to the side and cracking its knuckles while the corresponding tablet crumbled to dust.

"_Hn! Really... If it isn't one thing it's another,_" he muttered, walking over to his mistress' side as both duelists stared. Yugi's eyes appeared to move toward Beta's corpse as the fog shifted around them, before gritting his teeth as his lifepoints finally reacted. He hadn't lost too much. But if he took a direct hit...

"Hn... So," he eventually said, looking across at the monster Tilla had summoned. "That monster is your 'master'," he said quietly, his opponent nodding in response.

"That is right," she answered calmly, turning away from the Vampire with a confident nod. "And he will surely defeat you." Errrr... Yeah. About this whole 'master' thing...

"Please tell me I ain't th' only one freaked out abou' this," Katsuya muttered, the two at his side merely nodding wordlessly in response.

"_You're not..._"

"If I didn't know about you already," Honda muttered, "I'd say she was off the deep end..." Ignoring the first remark...

"Damn right," the blond hissed under his breath in response, watching as the other Yugi gave his opponent a curt nod.

"Hn! I'm almost curious to find out how he'll do that," Yugi snarled, tapping the duel disk as a blank tablet to his side began to etch an image for itself. "Activate trap!" he announced, "Soul Rope! For the price of 1000 lifepoints," he continued, "I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior! And now for my turn," the boy went on, drawing his next card. "I summon Gazelle, King of Mythical Beasts," he roared, cool and dusty stone rising as the one horned lion broke free. "Following that, I play this... UNION ATTACK!" As another tablet rose to the field the monsters charged, combined strength easily ripping through the vampire's flesh. "All monsters attack at once!" Yugi explained, "Striking one monster with their combined strength!"

Easily destroying the vampire, Katsuya finished in his mind, grinning widely. "Heh... ALRIGH' YUGI!" he cheered, pumping a fist as he shouted.

"Some 'master'," Honda laughed. "Gone in one hit!"

Suddenly, Katsuya's grin faded, and he found himself swallowing in unease. "Hn!"

Tilla merely snorted, closing her eyes momentarily as the others stared. "A waste of energy," she responded. "My master is immortal... Hnhn_hnhnhnhn_..." Er...

Immortal?

"_Gh... Tilla,_" the Vampire hissed, clutching his side and looking toward the woman as she nodded. The bleeding monster had barely pulled himself to his feet, and he looked toward his summoner with dimming eyes. K-Kay...

What? Another nod, and she pulled the hair away from her neck. "I am yours, master..." What.

The Vampire's grin widened, and he shot toward the woman instantly, wounds forgotten. He bared his fangs, latching onto the woman's neck-

WHAT.

"Tha'-"

"Jonouchi," Honda said stiffly, closing his eyes a moment as both of Yugis stared in dumbfounded shock. "...Give it to me straight. Is he really... Is he really sucking..."

Katsuya nodded, choking as the vampire continued to feed off of its master's blood. "Yeah. Yeah he really..." Oooooh god he was gonna hurl...

"What the hell kind of monster," Honda groaned, "Is programmed to actually feed..."

"Stop talkin' Honda." Stop talking, because thanks to this he was noticing that there were more than just a few scars on that woman's neck...

"Hahh..." Tilla let out a slight moan as the others stared, the Vampire's wounds healing completely as he stepped back onto the field. Bringing a hand to stop her own bleeding she smiled darkly, rubbing the remains from her neck. "Hnhnhnhnhn... When Curse of Vampire is destroyed in battle," she explained, "I can pay 1000 of my life points to bring him back with 500 more in attack. All I do, is for him," she continued, smiling softly. "And now... It's my turn," she stated calmly.

Y-Yeaaaah... That... That just...

Someone get him a bucket...

More chuckling filled the air, and the woman drew a card. "I play the continuous spell 'Threat of Demon's Eyes'," Tilla announced, a stone tablet with the spell's image rising up in the shape of yet another tombstone. "Just as my master's will is my own, so is it yours! Your monsters will no longer stand in his way," she shouted, a pair of ghostly eyes leering from the stone as Yugi's monsters paled. "Now brace yourself... For my Master seeks your life! POISON CLAW STRIKE!" she roared, the vampire darting forward.

"_Face my power_," the Vampire hissed, slashing at the boy and tossing him back with a shout. "_Young KING_!"

"GGN_HG_!" The monsters at his side turned, Yugi looking up from the ground with gasping breaths. "Gh..." His monsters had been forced down on their hands and knees, and yet this was no defense mode spell. They couldn't move an inch to do even that.

While the monsters could only watch Yugi weakly pulled himself back to his feet, looking across the field with narrowed eyes. In one strike Yugi's life points were almost gone... And from across him, Tilla's smirk only grew. "Hnhnhn... Your life is at its end," she said almost frankly, closing her eyes and smiling. "Come the next turn, my immortal master will drain you completely of life- with his direct attack, you can do nothing. This is the end..." The end?

Her opponent snorted, drawing his next card with a smirk. He wouldn't have even needed to do that... With a card that he'd already held he made his move, the mist seeming to swirl violently through the room. "Really now," he asked, chuckling under his breath. "So sorry Tilla," he told her. "But I don't agree with you... I sacrifice my two monsters," he announced, both of them finding themselves surrounded by a dusty spiral as their tablets crumbled to dust, "Summoning the monster Buster Blader, in attack mode!"

"_HM_!" Black, skintight armor coated the warrior that appeared, an almost face-less being standing before Yugi as the dust collapsed to the ground. His tablet slowly rose up behind him, and as he hoisted his blade over his shoulder the others stared almost incredulously.

"_W- ...The... The swordsman?_" the Vampire laughed, his mistress doing the same.

"N... HAH! HaH_AH_! Yugi... Even if you destroy my Master, he will only come back stronger than ever... This does not change your fate!" Tilla insisted, shaking her head.

"No," Yugi responded in agreement. "But this does..."

'This'? "Reveal trap card," he announced, the second of his blank tablets carving an image across its surface. "Magic Transfer!"

"Wha-" Tilla froze, blood draining from her already pale face as the Vampire at her side choked. Magic Transfer. Another 'copy' spell, like his Graverobber.

And it was perfect for this situation. "_...What...?_" As though fighting an invisible hand the monster at Tilla's side bowed down. His wings folded against his back, and with a snarling face he managed to look across the field, watching as what was formerly blank stone looked toward him menacingly. "_You... To steal my EYES!_" he snarled, Yugi merely chuckling in response.

"Hnhnhnhn... Magic Transfer copies the effect of a continuous spell card on the field," Yugi explained, unable to hear what the Vampire said. "Have a taste of your own medicine," he continued, the tablet at his side now mirroring that of the tomb across it. "Threat of the Demon's Eye activates, and you're left defenseless!"

If Tilla had heard him, she was obviously still in too much shock to respond. "W... What?"

"_Hnhnhnhnhn..._" The buster blader moved slowly toward his summoner's opponent, Tilla's eyes slowly looking up to where it towered above her. It was quite clear that what she saw was no mere hologram; that the giant and menacing being, faceless and literally covered in shadows, was there in the flesh with a blade that could cut diamonds. "_Hello there... 'Little Girl'._" It was quite clear to the woman.

She would not survive if that blade hit her.

"N... No... Oh no," she whispered, the monster raising his blade high above him. "No... N..."

"_HNN!_"

"There are two kinds of self-sacrifice," Yugi stated with a smirk, watching as his monster switched grip on the handle to prepare his attack. "While I admit yours is powerful... Mine just happens to be more suited for this sort of battle. Buster Blader," he ordered, the blade swinging downward. "SWORD SLASH OF DRAGON!"

"_HHHAAAAHH_!"

"NNN-_hh_!"

_-tpf_

Tilla stiffened completely as the blade crashed down, the force blowing her clothes to the side somewhat as the blade chipped the tiles. With the very swing of the sword the stones began to fade, the fog passing with it as the machines 'mysteriously' stopped functioning. Tablets crumbled to the ground and, pulling his blade back from the floor as the Vampire choked and hissed from its mistress' side, the Buster Blader chuckled. "_Hnhnhnhnhn... Really... A Duel Monster being the 'master', since when did that happen,_" he muttered, ignoring the snarls from the vampire behind him. The monster slowly faded from existence, still laughing as he shook his head. "_See you later,_" he continued, evidently not caring whether or not Yugi could actually hear him.

"HahahahhaHAH! Great going!" Katsuya cheered, smacking his friend on the back of the shoulder as Yugi chuckled.

"_Whew!_"

"Another 'three move duel'," Honda muttered, shaking his head with a grin. "MAN... We're just going to fly through this aren't we?" he said, a somewhat relived undertone on his voice.

The boys looked over to Tilla, the woman still somewhat left in shock from the attack. "_...Tilla,_" the Vampire muttered, tapping her on the shoulder a few times. "_... Tilla..._" No response.

Evidently she was still in shock, not that he could really blame her. Katsuya sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Er... Y' think you could get th' card?" he asked, the Vampire merely fixing him with a blank stare as his mistress snapped out of it.

"N-" She turned, blinking a few times in surprise. "Ah- You can see-" She covered her mouth as though realizing what she'd been about to say. "You..."

Yugi stepped forward, holding a hand out expectantly. "Perhaps some other time," he offered stiffly, Honda nodding in agreement. "If we could have the key card?"

Tilla turned, regaining a more serious expression as she nodded. "Of course," she told him, pulling out her card and handing it to him. It was when he caught the gleam on the card that he realized the lights were coming back on- slowly granted, but it was certainly a lot brighter than it had been to start with. "This card will open the door to the next room ahead," Tilla explained, gesturing to the door at the end of the elevator hall. "It's rather large... I believe it might be a foyer of sorts." As Yugi nodded, moving aside to test the card in question she turned back to Katsuya. "And... You..." Him? ...Oh.

Right. Ahhh...

He blinked, turning from where he'd been having a staring contest with the Vampire. "Eh- Oh! Ahhhh..." He looked back to the others a moment, before looking toward Tilla. He didn't really want to talk about duel-monster things right now. Speaking of dueling though... "...Hey... C'n I borrow your dueldisk?"

The look he got was expected. "...What?"

The blond laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Well... I left mine at home an'..."

"_Hahhh..._" The pair turned, Vampire shaking his head in apparent incredulity. "_You might as well allow him to use it for now,_" he told the woman, frowning somewhat. "I have a feeling he'll need it soon enough..." Of course he'd need it, he was gonna-

Why the hell did he have a flash of the basement levels?

… And what was with those glass tubes? Katsuya shook it from mind, merely watching as the Vampire and his mistress had an exchange of sorts. Whatever they were talking about while he'd been busy with that 'flash' it must have done the trick though; Tilla was unloading her deck at that very moment, pocketing it and handing her duel disk to him. "Make sure you don't lose it," she warned, narrowing her eyes. "I don't know what my Master means by 'Ancients'..." (Again with the Ancients..!) "But I won't allow anyone to lose something like this- I'm doing this only because he trusts you. Understand?" Er...

The blond numbly took the device, looking toward the Vampire in question before nodding. "'F course," he said, clicking it over his arm. "No probl'm... Ah..." He coughed, backing away- the others were already past the opened door. "See y' both later," he decided, turning to run over and join the others. "Thanks f'r th' disk!"

"_Hn. You can say 'thank you' when you find Coppermine,_" the Vampire muttered, Katsuya frowning as he joined up with the others. Coppermine? He shook it from mind, instead looking over his duel disk with a smirk.

"Heh... Oi, Yugi!" he called out, both of them turning somewhat as Honda did the same. "Don' worry abou' th' next duel alrigh'? I'll give 'm hell! Heheheheh..."

"Jonouchi... While winning duels and saving Anzu is our goal," Honda muttered. "...Is it really worth the possibility of becoming more of a hindrance when someone attacks you directly?" Hindrance! Wha-

Yugi blinked at that, the other half as well seeming to frown. "_Ah- That's right... We don't know what happens when you lose all your life points, do we?_" he asked, turning to the blond in worry. Errrr...

Despite not hearing a word of what he said Honda seemed to be building on that comment, a tight frown in place. "The point of this fight is to get to Anzu. Not to end up with two casualties..."

Katsuya coughed, turning away for a moment. Right... That. "Yeah, yeah... I know," he responded, frowning as well. "But tha's exactly why I gotta fight, got it?" he continued, crossing his arms. "So we c'n get t' Anzu faster..! But man," he continued, turning on Honda with a scowl. "What's with y'! I get tha' Yugi's worried, but yer actin' like I'll lose Honda!"

"Er..."

"Y' think I'm gonna lose?" he continued, a mocking and accusatory point aimed toward the teen. "Yer beliefs in yer friend goin' down?" If he even thought about losing...

That was the same as thinking about dying! "J-Jonouchi?"

The other Yugi smirked, chuckling under his breath. "It's alright, Honda, Aibou," he stated, both looking over as Honda briefly glanced to the 'blank spot' his friends were looking at. "Jonouchi's beaten Ra before after all. No matter what kind of enemy we face, we'll beat them easily, alright?" He held out a hand, mirroring the symbol that they'd formed over a year prior in the 'Death-T' event.

The great 'permanent marker face' that Anzu had made.

That Anzu wasn't there to complete.

"We'll get her back," Yugi whispered, eyes narrowing. "Our 'missing piece'..."

Katsuya and the others stared a moment, before nodding sternly. "Right," Honda said, moving through the open room. "In that case, we can only move forward. Now..." He looked around frowning. "Jonouchi..."

"We're in th' stair an' entryway," the blond answered, not bothering to wait for a question he'd already guessed. "Normally th's place 'd be full," he continued, looking around the empty floor, "But it looks like they cleared 'm out. I think th' room w's more t' show off than anything really..." Then again, this building had been built by Gozaburo first right? So he supposed that if Seto was going to do anything with a great big room containing a sun-roof, putting trees in it was better than nothing. His eyes drifted around the room, before blinking. "...Ah?"

The blond wandered off to the side, the others turning. "Hn?"

"Jonouchi!” Honda shouted, "What-"

"It's a card!" he called back, picking it up from the ground. "Hang on, I-" He paled, smile freezing as he sound of gears mirrored his move to flip it over. 'Booby Trap', the card read. And nothing else.

Oh hell.

-_rrrrmmnnnnnnn_...

"Ahhh shit," he muttered, the floor dropping from under him as he grabbed at the edge of what had formed a falling ramp. "FUUUUUUUUCK!"

"_J-JONOUCHI-KUN!_"

"SHIT!"

"JONOUCHI!" Honda bolted, pushing Yugi back as he dove and skidded down the ramp. "That idiot!"

"Gh- Honda-"

"Don't follow us!" he snarled, looking back with wide eyes. "Got it? We'll catch up later, you go on ahead..!"

"_Other me, Jonouchi's not moving!_" The other Yugi stiffened, again moving to reach for his friends.

"Gh-"

Honda looked back down the hole, paling as the ramp began to move slowly upward again. "Shit... Go on!" he barked out, sliding down as he gave a final thumbs up. "You can do this!"

"Honda-"

"GO!"

That was the last thing Yugi heard and saw before Honda finally allowed himself to tumble off the ramp before it threatened to crush him. The last thing that Katsuya saw before he passed out however, was someone entirely different.

Someone who could have been younger than he was for all he knew.

"_Man_," someone muttered in English, a clear American accent meeting his ears as an almost cat-like face looked down in worry. "_When he said 'wait for someone to fall', he wasn't kidding..._" Briefly, he'd thought of asking what the hell that was supposed to even mean- Or if they even spoke Japanese.

Unfortunately he was too busy closing his eyes, groaning in pain, and watching as the 'light' Yugi's spirit charged down through the floor in panic...

That and passing out.

Couldn't really forget that one.

* * *

Why was it he asked himself, that all his dreams as of late started with sand? He was standing beside 'little him' again. Or 'past him'. Or maybe 'little past him'. It was all very confusing, and he kinda wished he had his other self's name since he sure as hell didn't remember it himself. There was nothing to give it away despite this after all- no carvings, no writings, and no one to call it for him. At the moment, he wasn't too worried about that though.

No, he was more worried about blocking the rocks that they were throwing in the kid's- rather his face. "Where's your shadow, liar!" they screamed, a number of children cornering the boy in a niche between the buildings. The sun hung low in the sky and though the children looked nearly identical in colour of skin, eyes, and hair, he felt that there couldn't be more of a gap between who they were. And while 'Katsuya' rubbed some of the blood from his face, another stone scratched his arm. "Where is it?" the children jeered, gathering all they could for ammo. "Where is it, huh? The elders all got one, and you said you have one too! So where is it, liar?"

"Go away!" 'Katsuya' snarled in response, ducking another rock as he attempted to breathe. "I already told you! I'm not lying!" More stones flew through the air, and still the boy persisted. "They aren't my shadows," he pressed, shaking his head. "They don't belong to any one, they're 'theirs'!"

The children paused a moment, trading looks. For a moment, it seemed they were going to even drop what they held right then and there. Then, as Katsuya had apparently expected, they burst into laughter. "Gh... Hahahah... HAH_AHAHHA_!" While Katsuya stared at the children in rage the tallest sneered, spitting at the ground before him. "You really are a liar," he hissed, shaking his head. "And here we thought you were 'chosen'!"

Katsuya frowned, momentarily distancing himself from the memory. Chosen? What the hell? As if being called 'ancient' wasn't enough, now he was...

Chosen?

With that thought Katsuya's vision swam, the entire scene blurring and shifting until it was that of the catacombs. The first thing he recognized were the walls; thick stone, carved and stowed underground with tunnels and mirrors to provide light when torches did not suffice. He'd walked down here while in Noa's realm... Well sort of, he thought to himself. He hadn't really come through here, but he'd seen this room from the other side of the broken wall. The one he'd actually been in was brighter.

The second thing he noticed however was not the room but rather the elder behind him, who had a 'protective' hand on his shoulder. "I believe," the elder was saying, voice laced with an almost desperate hope, "That we may not have lost our bloodline as we thought brothers." The others of the circle before him stirred, and Katsuya frowned with suspicion. Like the 'past self', and the children from before, their eyes were a cold grey, and their hair a just as chilling white-silver to blend in with dirtied robes that stank of age. Quite unlike himself however, they were each incredibly old...

As expected from 'elders' he supposed. There were eleven before him. Twelve counting the one behind him. A sacred number a voice whispered in the back of his mind, a number that an additional person would damn, but for now he paid no attention to it. The eleven before him were almost exclusively male; out of the entire group there was perhaps one woman, two others who could have been either-or.

Age left them 'unknown', their faces beyond such gendered recognition with shawls and robes covering most of their bodies. All that Katsuya could see of most was their face and hands- nothing more. The only thing that gave the first woman away was the worn head-band around her brow. Even then, he thought idly, it could have still been a man.

With the first elder's words there had been muttering within the circle. The others turned among themselves, whispering and frowning. Finally one of them spoke. "You claim to hold the answer to our dying bloodline?" the one with the headband 'asked', voice revealing her as the woman Katsuya suspected her to be. "We have not had such a thing since those before us gave away our power," she warned flatly. "Not since the people of the Nile stole the three stones!" Three stones?

Before Katsuya could ask what the stones were, the elder behind him nodded. "It is true," he announced loudly, as though preparing to give a rousing speech. "The pieces of Light we so treasured sit in the tombs of the Nile kings... But with him," the elder insisted, 'Katsuya' looking and feeling rather put off by the suggestion, "With him, we can re-claim that power!"

Again the boy frowned, looking up uneasily. Something told him he wasn't going to fulfill those desires...

And as the scene shifted into darkness, Katsuya's suspicions were proven correct. He could hear voices. "You claim to hear them boy!" the elders jeered, the sounds of men and women alike merging into one monstrous tone. "So where is yours?" He heard his own protest that his shadow hadn't 'woken up yet' only to hear it cut off by more shouts. "Where is the monster you claim to hear!" He tried to tell them he didn't hear his- that the monsters he saw and heard resided in the shadows of the world, not of their own.

They didn't listen.

"You were supposed to be the key!" they screamed, a glimpse of their rage filled and torn expressions coming to mind. Like hell he was, his mind spat in response. How was it his fault he didn't steal what they'd given away? "Where is your shadow!" Where it should have been- and he wasn't going to split his soul in two trying to force it!

If his shadow was going to arise as a monster then it would do so when it was right! He wasn't going to damn himself trying, he wasn't...

"You see ours," the elders hissed, their faces shadowed and twisted in disgust. "And yet, you are without your own?" See the shadows? Of course he could see! Of course...

Of course he could... "You have no SOUL!" they screamed, Katsuya's blood growing cold as the elders were joined by adults and children alike. "You have no SOUL, you cannot summon what isn't there! You cannot-" No soul...

With more screams and spittle and stones Katsuya found himself falling back, face covered with his arms. His body was coated with hair line cuts and reddening bruises, his hair stuck to his face by either blood or sweat. The screaming had by this point faded and merged into a collective of voices-

A collective that would be impossible to hear through, and impossible to discern a voice from. And yet as he began to sink further...

"_Hey..._" He could hear a voice.

"It is not the fault of your soul that your shadow not reveal itself." Two voices, in fact.

"_Hey... …_" One seemed to come from a distant light.

"There is after all, a time and place." The other, darkness.

"_Hey..!_" Which one...

"In the same way..."

Which one did he go toward...

"_Hey!_" Which...

The dragon was speaking again, though how he knew it was a dragon he wasn't sure. The voice seemed familiar however, even though he'd already started walking toward the light instead. "Those of the Nile will someday find the 'Three Treasures' to be more than the stones and artifacts they thought the ancient ones granted them." Three treasures?

He'd mentioned that at one point hadn't he? "_HEY!_" For a moment, Katsuya wanted to ask the more calm of the two voices what these 'three treasures' were. If they had to do with those 'three stones' he'd heard someone mention earlier, and about whether or not they'd been 'stolen' or 'given'. Waking up however...

He found he almost completely forgot that particular detail of his dream.

"HEY!"


	3. Ze'eb – 'Ariy

A boy sits in the deep chambers of the desert caverns again. It is a rare occurrence, and has been since numerous decades before. But nonetheless the boy comes, as often as he can.

The boy is worried. He leans against the wall biting his lip, and when he smiles his eyes give him away. Eventually a pair of red eyes blink out from the shadows he sits in, and at the questioning rumble they give he slouches forward in worry. "I had another dream," he tells the shadows, holding his legs close. "I saw Neker's father die in it." The shadows remain silent and as the boy frowns he continues. "...I wanted to say something... But how do you tell someone that their sickness is finally going to kill them?" Again, there is no answer, and his eyes squint in an attempt to stave off tears. "I... ...I'm afraid," he eventually says. "If I say something... If Neker knew that I knew..." The boy shakes himself. "Why do I dream?" he asks. "Why do I see these things? I don't have a reason to know when people will die- I don't want to know when people will die!" he shouts, a few tears rolling down his cheeks. "The last time I said something... The last time, the elders told me to keep my mouth shut! They called me a liar! If no one is going to believe me," he cried, wiping his eyes, "Then why do I have to dream?"

The shadows shift, and red eyes close over in sympathy. "_There are always reasons for the gifts that the Great Ones give,_" the shadow whispers, taking form from the darkness to curl comfortingly around the boy. "_It is true that your dreams may hurt at times... And at others, you may see them as an annoyance. But it is still a gift,_" he tells the boy, "_And it is a gift you should not take lightly._"

"I know." The boy looks to the shadows briefly, eyes looking over ashen scales before turning away. "I just want to know why, too. No one else dreams," he mumbles under his breath. "No one else sees the elder's shadows like I do."

"_Is that so?_" the shadow asks. This time it is the boy's turn to remain silent, and the shadow sighs. Many moments pass in this silence. The boy stares off, forcing himself to calm from the recent death. He leans back against the dragon and breathes deeply, closing his eyes and eventually turning his attention toward the ceiling. More silence settles over the pair. The light in the room dims, and outside the sun begins to set.

"...Tanniyn," the boy asks eventually, turning to the dragonic shadow at his side. "...Can you tell me a story?" The dragon is a very old creature. He may be one of the oldest of the shadows in existence, or so the others say when they bother to speak to the boy. Most of the other shadows are afraid. They have seen many things, and fear the people of the village for reasons they will not say. They do not trust the boy before them.

'Dragon' however believes otherwise, and listens when the boy speaks. He tells the boy that he reminds him of his chick, his son, and gives him advice and comfort where his own mother will not. And so when the boy comes down, be it to hide or simply to visit, he keeps him company. He listens to the boy's words, and speaks when needed. And when the boy needs more than a listener, or an advice giver, he tells him stories...

Stories of old times, and stories of ancient times. And he teaches him, of the wonders of the world, and of the things man has forgotten. Of the things that exist right beneath his feet and over his head. Sometimes however these lessons come from the stories themselves, and need not be explained.

The dragon wonders if this is perhaps one of those times.

The boy repeats his question, realizing that this silence is not one of refusal but of lost thought. "Do you have another story today Dragon?"

The monster blinks, staring out from the shadows. Another story? Well. "I_ suppose I could continue where I left off from last time,_" the dragon decides with a sigh.

The boy's formerly depressed expression instantly becomes a grin. "AH- Yeaaaah! Alright!"

"_Settle down now..._" He chuckles, and watches as the boy squirms in an attempt to do so. "_I will now continue. The being 'Darkness' could not create, as I have told you before,_" the dragon begins calmly.

_To do so would be against his very nature; the Darkness was meant to destroy after all. But he was a cunning creature... He was clever, and determined to surpass his counterpart in 'Light'. So rather than 'creating', he found a way to split his essence from himself, dividing portions of his power into creatures that could combat the Light. By taking shadows from the neutral realm and fusing them with this power of his, twisting them into the greatest monsters the world has ever known he formed the perfect weapons. Weapons which could traverse even into the world of Light if need be. _

_The first, was the 'Behemoth'. A being of immense size, he was coated in the power of the neutral realms darkest corners, and with the shadows of the very edges of the realm of light, where the shadows begin to fade. But despite this power it was not the Behemoth who was first to fight Light- upon its creation, there was little that the Behemoth could do, for the Behemoth's power was tied to that of the world's hate. And in the realm that Light created, there was not nearly enough of such an emotion to fuel the beast. The world of Light was too peaceful, too calm, for such hatred to develop... When the Behemoth took even one step toward the Light, it was therefore locked away by naught but human hands. _

_So the Darkness formed a second beast. The second child as well could not face Light upon its creation. The great serpent 'Leviathan', so powerful that he was, relied too much on the despair of human beings... And so long as Lights power remained in full capacity, there would never be enough to give him an advantage. It was a disadvantage not unlike that of the Behemoth; the world of Light was too 'positive', and could not form the proper amount of despair until something catastrophic occurred. If the power could not be gathered, then catastrophe could not happen... So, learning from its brother's mistake, the Leviathan waited for a greater moment to strike._

_But Darkness was not one to give in; he could see that in due time, these creatures he had formed would prove useful, that the world would break their seals and allow them to run rampant. He knew... They merely needed a spark. Something to start the slew of negativity that would fuel their power. Something that could grow from nothing, which could simply 'be' and grow power as a result. So he created a third monster. And that monster, my dear child... _

_Was 'Ziz'._

* * *

It was all he could do not to pound the floor in rage at this moment.

"Honda!" All he could do not to switch places with his partner now to discern for himself just what had happened one floor below, to ascertain the fates of his friends. "Jonouchi!" There was nothing but floor where they had once been now. The panel that had dropped so suddenly created a seamless seal between itself and the rest of the floor, leaving no visible sign of the pressure panel that Jonouchi had triggered. At the moment his other half was currently calling up through his mind in fear, shouting up about how Honda and some other person were trying to awaken the blond.

How Jonouchi was twitching, how his eyes were moving at high speed beneath their lids. But as he noticed a shadow looming behind him he had little time to focus on the words his other was trying to pass through.

In fact he found himself blocking the connection for fear he would lash out in response to the situation at hand. "Well well well," a thickly accented voice chuckled, black army grade boots thudding across the ground behind him. "'Mutou Yuugi'... It looks like your friends never fail to be there with you when you fight, do they?"

The other Yugi stiffened, turning with narrowed eyes to watch as a young bespectacled man stepped forward from the shadows. Green military styled clothes with a dueldisk firmly locked over the left sleeve met his eyes and he swallowed.

The next professor.

The man before him adjusted his jacket collar, narrowing his eyes in apparent mirth. "You know," he began in a falsely conversational tone, "We of the 'Professor' league heard at one time that your ability to fight reaches its peak when your comrades stand at your side. Quite personally," he said rather dismissively, "I don't fully believe it. Anyone locked in competitions such as these shouldn't rely on such a fragile crutch after all. Nonetheless, if it had been true... Well." He chuckled darkly, gesturing to the floor panel that the 'other' Yugi now sat beside. "I needed to make sure that sort of uncertain element was eliminated as fast as possible. You understand, don't you?" he added with a sneer.

Understand? The boy stiffened, slowly pulling himself to his feet. Oh. He 'understood' alright...

And he was damn lucky he was above shattering minds with the snap of his fingers now. "You... They could have broken their necks from that fall, both of them..." The only thing holding him back now was the knowledge that they hadn't, that they were both still alive, that they were both...

The man ignored him. "Those friends of yours are easy to fool, ah?" The man continued to talk, as though nothing had happened. "Really, a trap like that... I prepared many others in this room, but to think the first one would catch both- it's fairly pathetic. Nonetheless, allow me to introduce myself," he said somewhat louder, giving the boy a strong but clearly disrespectful salute. "'Kirk Dixon' of the Card Professors. Though I believe we should keep our words short," he went on. "The sooner we start the duel, the better after all don't you agree?" This man... Yugi remained silent, and after a number of moments Kirk again began to laugh. "Hnhnhnhnhn... What's wrong?" he laughed, shaking his head. "Can't fight without your friends?" Shut up... "Feeling weak?"

Shut up! "...Where did Jonouchi and Honda fall to?" he hissed, eyes shadowed as they turned toward the duelist at his side. Kirk paused at this, before adjusting his glasses and shrugging.

"Hn. Well... The fact is, my traps are merely minor upgrades to already present security measures," the man admitted, "So I have no idea where that hole goes. Perhaps the owner of this building does," he continued, chuckling as the boy before him continued to scowl. "I would imagine however that your friends current location is more than appropriate... Given the trash that follows them beneath this floor." T...

Trash! Though Kirk's expression had twisted into a feral sneer, Yugi's own expression rivalled it just as much so in rage, and as the man caught sight of this his own face began to weaken in fear. "You... How dare you insult them like that?" he snarled, the look darkening still further. Trash? He'd show him trash..! "I'll be sending you much further down than you sent them!" he spat, duel disk clicking forward. "We duel- now!"

The man's faltering grin shrank into a smirk, and he nodded. "Alright!" The deck on his arm snapped into place, the sound of cards shuffling meeting the air. "We'll see how you fare against my Machina deck!" Machina? The robotic army?

He snorted, air still charging with the energy of a fight about to begin. A military based deck would do just as much as any other kind against the monsters in his own! "Hn! I move first!" he announced, drawing his hand. "First, I set two cards face down," the boy decided, the holograms appearing before him as they normally would. He hadn't expected any stone of course- after the duel he'd had against Jonouchi that 'ability' had vanished completely. His monsters however... "Next... I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior in defense mode!"

Perhaps it was to mirror the stasis that the monsters had taken during the battle where he saw everything as stone, but unlike when he had summoned Beta during his previous match the Alpha Warrior before him was completely silent. He hovered before his holographic card with crossed arms, and his magnet shaped helm covered his face almost completely. With the monster's summoning however there was nothing more to do save stare momentarily at the monster's shadow before continuing on.

"It's your turn," he snarled, tearing his gaze from the monster on the field. "Go!"

"My turn eh?" Kirk chuckled, eyes almost closing over as he drew his next card. "Very well," he decided, "First I set one face down card... And following that," he went on as the holograms shimmered into being, "I summon the Machina Soldier in attack mode. Moreover," the man continued, a robot with a helm that seemed almost identical to his summoner's hat appearing in holographic form, "I activate the spell 'Bonds of Brothers!'" Hm? Bonds of-

Blood drained from his face as cards began shuffling out from the deck, the hologram clearly revealing its purpose. Oh...

Crap. "I special summon two more Machina monsters from my deck!" Kirk announced, the cards flipped to the field just as quickly as the holographic forms came into being. From the right of the first robot a tall white being with a single gun, the lengthened muzzle aimed directly toward him. From the left, a great and four-legged 'spider' machine hovering almost awkwardly above the field. "Machina Sniper and Machina Defender," the man stated. "End turn." Gh- Three monsters.

And that meant... Yugi shook off what little unease was growing, swallowing as he steadied himself. He'd just summoned two monsters that couldn't attack or be sacrificed, and in addition he'd lost 1000 lifepoints. If he thought he could fight like that he was sorely mistaken- all this did was put Kirk at a disadvantage. Even so...

_'You can't defeat my battle formation,_' the militia-nut chuckled, gesturing to his loyal soldiers. The cards and their holograms shimmered in a betrayingly innocent manner, Yugi narrowing his eyes at the sight. '_My turn ends here..._' Well.

He'd have to take whatever risks his opponent held in his hand, wouldn't he. "My turn!" Yugi shouted, drawing his next card. There was no telling what was going on at this moment. So just in case he decided, looking over his hand and at the card he'd just pulled from his desk. Just in case... "First, set one more face down card!" he called out, almost speaking to himself as the hologram appeared. "Next... I sacrifice Alpha to summon this!" he roared, Alpha's form shattering from existence. "The Dark Magician Girl!"

The arena before him seemed to explode with light as the holographic card met the air, fire and sand bursting forth from the image that replaced Alpha's own. The sand quickly swirled upward to form a body, and as cheerful laughter met the air the Dark Magician's apprentice turned to give a playful salute, staff twirling in her hand like a baton. "_Hnhnhn! Good to see you again, Pharaoh! It hasn't been the same not talking with you all this time!_" Ah-

All this time? (And- she knew about his past!) He'd have assumed she meant since she was put in the deck, but somehow that didn't feel like the right answer... Somehow as with the Dark Magician there was something else there.

Regardless however, it was time to move! And with that in mind he took his attention from the mage to their opponent. "Dark Magician Girl!" he ordered, pointing the girl forward. "Machina Defender has the least power... Attack!"

"_Right!_" she shouted, flames already growing at the tip of the staff. "_BLACK B-_"

Crap. "Of course you'd attack," Kirk was muttering, tapping the side of his duel disk as the Magician launched her spell forward. "Trap activate! Yellow Emergency Alarm!" Yellow- ...What! "I special summon another monster to act as a shield!" he roared, "The Powered Caterpillar! Too bad," he chuckled, narrowing his eyes. The flames from the attack rolled harmlessly over the metal spiked tank, and the mage shrank back with a swallow. "Your cute magician girl's existence is short lived... I COUNTER ATTACK!" the man roared, the fat snake-like monster aiming its guns forward. "BUSTER CANNON!" Ku-

"ACTIVATE COUNTER TRAP!" Yugi snarled in retaliation. "SPELLBINDING CIRCLE! Cancelling the attack and lowering your monster's power by 700 points!" Of course, since his earlier attack had a separate target... The Dark Magician girl crossed her arms, scowling as the remainder of her flames vanished from existence. "My battle phase is over," he growled, watching as the hologram and the spell both faded from sight. "I have nothing left to do..." Even so...

He had to have some reason for protecting the seemingly useless machina so stubbornly. So what-

"My turn," his opponent hissed, drawing his card. The moment his eyes flicked across it he grinned, turning his gaze toward Yugi and laughing. "Watch!" he laughed, setting the card on the field. "The strongest Machina force formation! Summon 'Commanding Officer Covington," he announced, a stiff and faceless robot appearing over the field. "And by paying 1000 lifepoints, I activate his effect... Watch- under Covington's command,” Kirk cackled, the three machines before him slowly deconstructing and re-constructing, "My Machina take an unstoppable form! THE MACHINA FORCE," he continued with a howl. "WITH ALL THEIR ATTACK AND DEFENSE ADDE TOGETHER!" Added-

Added toge...

4600! "GO!" Kirk roared, pointing the enormous mess of metal forward as his opponents paled. "MACHINA FORCE... ATTACK!"

"GH-!"

The barrels of the guns took aim, gyrating in the beast's arms. Lights flickered, and the Dark Magician Girl cringed and ducked down, the snipers tiny red laser guiding the great beast before her. With nothing to do, she braced for the inevitable and...

"_Ngh... …!_" A clicked button was all it took, and despite his stiff appearance Yugi let out a sigh of relief. The monster before him jerked and tensed, guns freezing as it pulled back and fell to pieces...

And the card at his side swung upward, 'Covington' finding itself caught within a single seal across him. "You..." Kirk's face was frozen in shock, the man adjusting his glasses and swallowing. "You stopped the attack!" His eyes flew over the field, only just realizing what had happened as he spotted the revealed trap. "No... This-"

"Curse of Illusion," Yugi announced clearly, a seal all too similar to the 'Spellbinding Circle' appearing. "Binding your Commanding Officer to negate his effect and lower his attack by 500 points! But it's not over yet," he continued, nodding to his own monster as she stood back up from the ground. "I activate the spell 'Diffusion Wave Motion'... And I counter attack!" he roared, the magician girl's staff glowing with power. "NOW! ATTACK THE MONSTERS ALL AT ONCE... "

“_**CHOU MADOU HADOU-DAN,**_" they both cried, fire streaking from the air to strike each of the holographic beasts down. "_BLACK WAVE BULLET!_"

"GH- GGHH_HAA_...!" As the fires pushed Kirk back his cards fell to the ground, the white plastic of a key card clearly visible amid the pile. The man watched as the holograms faded, shaking and stepping back. "_No_," he muttered in English, eyes widening further. "_An... Annihila... ...My combo..._"

"I win," Yugi snarled, stepping closer to the man as he crumbled on himself. "Now... Give me the key card."

"I..." Kirk didn't respond, merely pulling himself to his feet and shaking on the spot. "Never," he was muttering to himself, shaking his head as a defensive grin came over him. "Never," he cried to himself, "It's not possible, this..." By the time he'd stumbled back to the trip panel he'd rigged it was too late. "Heh-"

_-piii!_

The floor panel he was on flipped upward, the spring tossing him back into the large trash chute at the side. "G-HH_HAAAAAAAAAA_..!"

All that was left was a spinning trash-lid, and a few cards leaving the fading Dark Magician Girl and Yugi both to stare in silence. "_Would you look at that_," the magician muttered idly, her body fading in the light as she stared. "_Caught in his own trap..._" That was all she was able to say before vanishing- though it looked as though she would have said something else had she had the time. And speaking of someone else...

"_Other me..!_" Hn! The other Yugi turned, jumping as his partner floated up through the floor.

"Ah- Aibou!" he called out with a start. "Yugi..." He swallowed, almost turning away as the full force of what he'd been fighting for rendered him silent. "...How are the others?"

His other half smiled, coming up to rest on the air at his partner's side. "_They're both fine now,_" he said confidently, a clear look of relief on his face. "_The duelist down there is probably going to challenge them before they can move forward,_" he went on with a light laugh, "_But he's been helping to try and wake Jonouchi-kun up._"

"Ah- Wake up?" he repeated, the spirit nodding.

"_He's still knocked out right now,_" he explained, partner nodding in response. "_Though he's not shaking any more. Honda-kun's fine as well_," the boy added. "_Just a sore back._" Ah. That was it then? Alright...

So they just needed Jonouchi to wake up.

…

Somehow, this put him more at ill ease than when it had before the duel. "_Anyways_," Yugi went on, rubbing the back of his head. "_We don't really know where their path will take them; according to Klamath-kun, the duelist, he had bad luck just by waiting down there. But we know which way we're aiming right?_" he asked, his other half staring somewhat blankly in response. "_And didn't you say it yourself?_" he continued with a smile. "_Jonouchi-kun and Honda-kun will break through whatever stands in their way... So for now, lets just move on positively rather than worry, alright?_" Worry? He wasn-

He sighed. Well. He supposed he was, he thought to himself with a smirk. "Hn... You're right," he said after a few moments, walking toward Kirk's fallen pile of cards to grab the key. The boy shook his head, shaking off the last of his concerns. "Wherever they are now, we'll still end up in the same place eventually." The place where Tenma was waiting. As his lighter half nodded the boy turned his attention toward the stairs in the room, eyes moving around to look for a door. "...So," Yugi said after a few moments. "...How do we get to the door without triggering another trap?" For a moment, it looked as though his lighter half planned to say something, even opening his mouth to speak.

In the end however he merely looked back to the room and coughed. "_Erm... Maybe if I go back under I'll see something..._" Hahahaha...

Of course...

* * *

Yugi had been telling the truth when he said that the others would be 'fine'. During the entirety of his other half's duel however the truth in the statement was coming with considerable difficulty- and it was only moments before that duel finished that Katsuya finally started coming to, the obvious shaking of a well-experienced dream having calmed down only moments prior.

"_Hey_!" an aggravated voice muttered, hands shaking his shoulders as it was joined by the shouts of another. "_Hey, wake up_!"

'Wake up'? What was that, English? "He's not going to understand you..." Yeah, tell them Honda! Wait...

"_Well I don't know how to say it in-_"

"'Mezameru'," said Honda, "But I meant that if you keep going in English..."

"Well- It's not my first language," the new voice protested, switching over to a stumbling attempt at Japanese.

"That's obvious," Honda muttered, his friend slowly coming to his senses.

"Hnn... Wh'..." Katsuya opened his eyes, blearily watching as blurs of colours slowly took form. On one side he could clearly make out the blue and white of his friend's uniform and t-shirt, but on the other...

Orange... And black...

...And cat? What the hell, did he summon another-

The blond's vision slowly continued to focus, and he tossed the thought from mind. No he told himself, this... This was...

"Nggh... Sffff..." He hissed, reaching for his forehead in pain. "Ngh... M' head..."

"Woaaaah, _easy th_\- Er..." The boy in orange coughed, shaking himself. "Easy there alright?" he corrected. "You landed weird..." Easy? Ow ow ow, right...

The blond shook himself, slowly pulling himself up against the wall. "Ngghh... Shit... W' happened?" he hissed, wincing as another wave of pain shuddered through his skull.

"Long story short, you fell down a trap hole," Honda answered dryly, frowning somewhat. "And Olser here-"

"Call me Klamath."

"Right... Klamath," the teen corrected, rolling his eyes, "Found you on the ground passing out."

'Klamath', the black haired boy, chuckled at that. "Hehehehehe... Never thought anyone would fall down here though," he muttered, Japanese broken and flat as he forced himself to hold the language. "Those were pretty obvious traps..." Ob-

"What was that," he snarled, instantly recovering from the pain.

"AH- H-Hey!" the boy laughed, stepping back. "Just saying! I mean... My lucks' always rotten," he joked. "I drew the straw for the bottom basement floor; what do you think the chances are that I'd end up fighting anyone?" He sighed, shaking his head. "Guess I have some luck left after all... Seeing how you're obviously fine now," he added almost dryly.

"...Now?"

The boy stood, crossing his arms as his expression grew somewhat more severe. "Listen, are you alright now?" he asked, worry briefly replacing the semi-proud look on his face. "Because if you plan on getting anywhere, you've still got me to go through- if you're going to collapse half way, I'm not going to start!" Eh-

What! Half way through what! "Wai'..." He blinked, dots and pieces coming together in his head as he stared at the whiskered boy. "You're th' card professor..?"

"I think I said that," Honda muttered, shaking his head at the blank look he received in response. "...I definitely said that..." He watched as the blond pulled himself up, rubbing sore shoulders with a frown. "He's been waiting to see if you'd come to so he could fight you know!"

"Yeah yeah..." The blond cracked his neck, stepping forward. "I got it! So. I gotta beat you t' get t' Yugi righ'?" he asked, still frowning somewhat. He chuckled, a competitive smirk coming over his face. "Heh! Les' do th's then!"

"Try not to get killed!" shouted Honda from behind. Oh hahahahahha...

He tried not to think about how literal that was, instead nodding. "Righ'! DUEL!" The familiar violet film of the fight instantly appeared, growing from a point between the two as their dueldisks clicked on. From the center, the film almost resembled a hole. It spread out like a poison, coating the floor in a manner that almost had him step back in unease. The film grew around the hall... Up the walls and about the ceiling, and as he drew his cards he found himself watching it surround them to the point where there were walls on either side of where they were. Huh...

And here he'd thought it was always just 'there'. "My turn," Klamath began, a small smirk on his face as his opponent's attention snapped back to the battle at hand. "And it looks like my luck's still here- I got a good card! I summon Arijigoku!" he called out, a tablet appearing only for the field to remain empty. "End turn!" End-

"Wh-" He frowned, eyes wide as he looked over the field. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The tablet hadn't even given off its usual smoke as it carved itself, merely showing the image of a pair of eyes in some sort of 'void'. But the monster wasn't even there, so where was- "What th' hell! Where'd it go!" Where-

"Where'd what go?" Klamath asked, chuckling as his opponent continued to fret. "If you don't get it, then just attack why don't you?" Attack?! He growled, only to tense as the sudden urge to look down came over him. A flash of something crawling in the darkness came to mind, of a pair of eyes in the middle of a deep pit...

...Awwwww shit it was beneath the ground. "Hey... Jonouchi," Honda muttered, looking to him almost suspiciously. "Is this..."

"Tch." He ignored him, instead narrowing his eyes back into focus. "My turn!" the blond growled, drawing his card. A monster, his mind told him. Alright then... "I set one trap," he announced, watching the stone rise up to his side with its usual blank face. "An' next... I summon Gearfried, in attack mode!"

From the second tablet at his side the familiar iron-clad warrior stepped forth, metal thumping across the ground as he turned. "_Yo,_" he said somewhat casually, waving a metal blade/arm in greeting. "_I was wondering when we'd be dueling again..._"

Katsuya merely shrugged, smirking as he looked over the monster's metal covered face. "Heh... Y' can stop wonderin' now.," he said with a grin, ignoring the slight frown from across him in response. "Jus' have fun, y'r target's underground..."

Gearfried seemed to blink, staring in silent shock with the words. "_Nn... Underground?!_" The monster looked forward, narrowing his eyes and readying his stance. "_Tch... Alright then..._" Yep.

"GEARFRIED!" Katsuya ordered, pointing the monster forward as he jumped to spear the ground. "ATTA-"

Rumbling met the air in that instant, the ground by Klamath's tablet seeming to crumble. Pinchers the size of large dogs broke through the ground, and as Katsuya stumbled back he cursed. Ignoring the confusion on his opponent's face he shielded his eyes, dirt and concrete flying into the air. "_Gh- SHIT!_" he could hear Gearfried shout, his body tossed upward in the resulting explosion. "_Ambush-!_" Yeah no shit! But more importantly...

"What th' hell kinda hole is this!" Katsuya roared, squeezing his eyes shut as the others stared. They couldn't hear the sound of the hole he figured. At least not at this level. But regardless of what they saw or heard it was blinding, painful, and stung his eyes a hell of a lot more than a hologram would. Not to mention he couldn't see dick all. "Gh... Where th' hell is-"

"_Ressssssssshhhh..._!"

-_cllk cllk clkk.._.-

Aww fuck. That was probably the monster he realized, slowly opening his eyes to look forward and wince. The pinching jaws of what resembled a giant and round bodied ant tore through the ground, snapping at the metal of Gearfried's form with ease. The metal crunched inward with a sickening sound, and as the monster cried in pain Katsuya swallowed. He could see blood dripping from between the bits of metal, even as it sank back into the hole with the oversized ant-lion. And that...

"Hehehehe... Monsters facing against Arijigoku lose 500 attack points," Klamath chuckled, his opponent slowly coming to his feet as the ground evened out again to cover the corpse in concrete and tile. "You attack again," the boy warned, "And you'll be in a lot more pain than you already are!" Huh... Pain eh?

Katsuya grimaced, idly rubbing his arm where a particularly solid chunk of tile had hit it. He was already probably in more pain than he thought damn it... "Hey... Jonouchi?" Honda muttered, a loud _'my turn_' coming from the other end of the field. "Jonouchi, you alright man?" The blond merely nodded, brushing some dust from his disk and swallowing. Tch...

This was bad. He didn't have anything else left... "'M fine," Katsuya muttered, not turning back. "Jus' fine... ...What're y' waitin' for?" he forced out, watching the giant antlion across from him scratch at the ground it'd formerly sat beneath. Klamath's somewhat worried expression stiffened, and the blond continued. "Your turn ain' it?"

At this his opponent's face shifted into a competitive smirk, Katsuya growing somewhat pale as a result. He had a nasty feeling that this was going to hurt...

A lot. "Hehehe... Just waiting for you to pay attention," the boy said with a shrug, easily hiding any other worry about what it was he was or wasn't seeing. "Watch- this is what I drew just now!" he announced with a grin, "'Firearms Insect Armor'!" Fire...

Eh! That-

The card was set on the field, its tablet appearing only to crumple into dust and form a weapon of sorts upon the monster's back. A large and futuristic canon latched onto the monster's hide, claws digging through the exoskeleton as it glowed with power. A power that his opponent was now needlessly explaining to him.

"With this," Klamath announced, "Arijigoku's attack rises to two thousand two hundred... And in addition to that," he continued with a grin, "I summon the worm drake!" Worm- The tablet rose from the dusty field, and as the image appeared on its form its summoner continued. "Now... Both of you! Attack the player!" Klamath shouted, blood draining from the blond's face. Ohhh shit-

From the second monster tablet the worm charged, mouth opening to reveal a single eye at the end of its tongue. The beast hissed, slithering across the ground while the gun from Arijigoku prepared to fire, and in one swift move-

"FUCK-"

Two direct hits-

"_RISSSSHHHHH_!" Ducking behind his arm there was now a single cut, which would thankfully prove little harm as the snake retreated and stared in confusion. Briefly its single eye seemed to widen, before the serpent turned back to 'scream' something to its partner.

_-RSSST-!_

The oversized larvae however decided to ignore it evidently. "Shi-"

Sidestepping away as fast as possible his uniform jacket flapped in the back draft of Arijigoku's fired attack, the monster clicking its pincers in slow and obvious questioning 'tones' while the fabric smoked. "Hah... Hah..."

"Oi oi, Jonouchi," Honda shouted almost in panic, "What the hell are you doing!"

"G... Shut up!" he called in response, swallowing. "It's nothin'..!"

Honda narrowed his eyes, but nonetheless he remained silent; Klamath as well seemed suspicious... If not because of the damage, but because of the way he'd reacted. Normal people didn't try and dodge attacks like that after all- it wouldn't change the life-point drop. Regardless of if it hit or not, he only had 200 life points now. And while he had that one face down card, it was worth nothing more than a bluff. Damn it...

He could practically hear the Panther Warrior in the back of his mind; 'don't place useless trap cards idiot! Not everyone falls for a bluff that obvious!' Oh whatever... It wasn't useless damn it! Of course, if he got the right card...

"Heh... _This is going easier than I thought_," Klamath was chuckling, shaking his head as he muttered to himself. "_Maybe if my luck holds out,_" he continued in English, "_I'll even get to claim Yugi Mutou's prize..._" Yugi-

Wait, did he say 'prize' too? Katsuya's face sank into a nervous scowl, the blond narrowing his eyes. He had no clue what he'd said but... "Tch... Like hell I'm lettin' tha' happen," he growled, drawing his next card. "'S my turn..!" And-

He blinked, looking to the card in his hand to double check what his 'sight' had already told him. No way... And here he thought this kind of luck was only what Yugi had! He was only on his second turn! "...Hey..." The blond looked across the field, watching as his opponent sent him a worried frown. "Hey, you're still doing alright... Right?"

Eh? Katsuya blinked, watching as Klamath's frown deepened slightly. "...You got pretty quiet there... Sure you didn't get a concussion, or..."

"Heh." He smirked, narrowing his eyes. "I'm jus' fine," Katsuya shouted. "Better than ever! I set one more face down card on th' field," he began, slapping the card down as its tablet rose up beside him. "An next, th' Rocket Warrior in d'fense mode. Tha's it!" he continued. "Turn end!"

Klamath nodded, the boy barely visible from behind the stationary tablet his opponent had summoned. "My turn then!" he shouted, setting a card on the field following his next draw. "Sorry about this, 'Jonouchi'... But your shield is nothing compared to this! Activate the magic card Evolution 2!" the boy announced, a fine powder rising from the ground around Arijigoku's equipment. The gun on its back gained a second barrel, its owner stumbling somewhat beneath the weight as Klamath explained. "Arijigoku's equip spell is doubled in power," he laughed, "And with that done, I attack..! GO-"

Hahaha, NO. "H-p!" The blond smacked his hand across the tablet beside him, stone image carving itself as a spring-loaded 'claw' launched itself forward. "Act'vate face down... Shield arm!" he announced, the trap's effect protecting the already shield-like stone before him. "Takin' th' worm drake t' use as a shield!" Sorry about this, he thought as the arm viced itself around the snake, pulling it from where it had curled around the stone.

But nothing personal! And as the two bullets from Arijigoku blasted forward the tablet crumbled, nothing but charred remains left to fall on the ground as his opponent tensed. "Gh... _Damn it,_" Klamath muttered, shaking himself and wincing. "_Acting all tough_..." "Japanese!" Honda shouted from behind, Klamath merely scowling in response.

"I got it already! Sheesh! I'd like to see you two in the USA..! Try sticking to English then, you... Tch..."

"Hey!" Katsuya called out, already holding the next card in his hand. His opponent blinked, looking forward almost dully. "You were talking abou' luck earlier?" he asked, the smirk on his face slowly growing larger. "Talkin' abou' what a great streak you were havin'?" His opponent blinked, and he continued. "Truth is.. I'm pretty lucky too," he bragged, Klamath shaking himself in incredulity.

"L-Lucky?" he repeated, laughing at the thought. "Hahahah! Someone with 200 life points shouldn't be saying that sort of thing!"

"Really now?" he asked with a grin, setting the card on the field. "Well then le's see who's luck is greater! I play th' spell card Roulette Spider!" he announced, watching as the stone web slowly grew in the center.

From the very middle of the black and red coloured stone that rose up from the ground a checkered spider pulled itself forward, launching itself at the ant-lion before it and pulling it toward the middle. The tablet with the Rocket Warrior moved to the side of the stone, the oddly formed wheel slowly coming to hover above the ground.. And from each of their own locations on the field, a triangle was formed.

"Hehehehe... Time t' play a game!" he shouted, the arrow-like arachnid launching itself into a spin with a high-pitched squeal. "Th' one who gets th' pointer ends up losin'! An' when it does stop, an when you d'cide it's time t' end..." he continued lowly, narrowing his eyes with a smirk. "It's gonna stop on you." ...Well.

Hopefully, at least. As Klamath watched the wheel spin after all, they both knew as much about it as the other- there was only a one in three shot of it hitting Klamath. His vision refused to tell him what would happen in regards to who won or lost in his own duels, leaving him at the mercy of chance. And with those kinds of odds...

"Nn..." It was almost surprising that his opponent was worried in any way let along more worried than him. "Gh... STOP!" Klamath shouted, swallowing his unease as the spider began to slow. "Nh..." The blurred colours began to take form... Reds and blacks separated out and the arrow on the spider's rear slowly came to a stop.

"_Hihihih-_" And... And it was pointing at him.

"GH- IT- IT'S ME!" he shouted in minute panic, Klamath's eyes widening in relief.

"AH- Hahaha! YES! I knew it!" he said with a grin, almost collapsing in surprise. "My luck hasn't run out after a-"

"Ehhh?" Klamath froze, watching as Katsuya cut him off. "Did you hear me cry abou' losin' yet?” he asked, expression of fear fading into a smirk as his opponent did the reverse.

"W-What..."

As the blood again drained from Klamath's face Katsuya grinned, snapping his fingers. From his side the blank 'bluff' tablet was already carving itself out, and as the dust sank from its image the spider again began to spin. "Hehehehe... Trap card! Chance Alteration- not only do I get another shot," he began with a grin, eyes widening to an eerie extent, "But th' arrow can' hit me this time! It's 50-50!" he announced, pointing forward with a narrow-eyed grin. "So le's see what yer chances are th's time aroun'..."

"Wh... But that... _It's not fair_," he muttered, shaking his head. "_You changed the odds, it should have_..." The arrow continued to spin, colours blurred and almost nauseating on the field. "_It_..." The ant-lion in the center was charging its weapon, but the insect itself was barely holding onto the spider. "Nh... STOP!" Again the arrow slowed. And again, Arijigoku's gun took aim.

And this time, Klamath found himself swallowing in defeat, a pair of red-hot canons aimed toward him.

"Oh no... It..."

"Hahaha... ALRIGH'!"

_-RRRSSH-ck_!

"I WIN."

"W- HHAA_AAAHH_!" A miniature explosion sounded around the room, Katsuya pumping a fist as the field began to clear. Hehehehehe...

"WHOO!" YEAH! Alright! He continued to grin and laugh, ignoring the dust that was flying in his face from the disappearing field. "ALRIGH'!"

"Sheesh..." Eh? "More of a gambler than a duelist," Honda muttered, his friend turning back to blink.

"Nyh? What w's tha'?" he asked, looking to the teen almost innocently.

"Nothing..."

There was a small groan from the other side of the hall, Katsuya walking over to watch as Klamath pulled himself up. "Ngghh... 'Five feet' my ass, that had to be at least six..." Eh? What was that he was talking about?

"Oiii, 'Klamath'," Katsuya asked, disk clicking off and heading to the side as he slipped his cards back in place. "You alrigh' down there?"

The boy looked up, frowning as he caught Katsuya's grin and humored tone. "Hn! As good as I can be..." He grunted, attempting to sit up from the ground with a hiss. "Man... And here I thought my luck was running strong today," he mumbled, pulling out a single plastic card and holding it out.

"Ah- Tha's-"

"The key card," Klamath finished, Honda taking the card as the boy continued. "You earned it... I figure your prize will probably increase by maybe five... Er..." He frowned, scratching his head. "_Five fold... Five fold... Ah... What the hell is-_"

"Five... Times the amount?" Honda offered hesitantly, Katsuya turning to frown.

"Since when did you know English?" he muttered, Klamath giving Honda a nod of confirmation while the teen shrugged.

"Since I keep getting stuck listening to Otogi and his cousin web-chatting." Otogi had a cousin?

"Wha-"

"ANYWAYS!" Klamath 'shouted', pulling their attention back. "Before I go and turn myself in somewhere for losing it..."

"Losin' it?"

"Seeing how I'm seeing my opponents smoke under attack," the boy muttered on.

"Er.." Honda coughed, shaking his head. "No... Ah..." He coughed again, growing somewhat red-faced. "Don't worry Klamath you're not going crazy..."

The boy blinked. "I'm not?" Ahhh...

Well. "Nah... Nah tha's... Pretty much how all my duels go," the blond admitted, rubbing his head.

"Ehhh..." Klamath frowned, coming to his feet in confusion. "So the speaking to the monster thing?" he asked, looking to Honda. "That wasn't him going all... Weird?" He sputtered, face growing red with incredulity.

"W-Weird! Wha-"

"Nah, you're good," Honda answered, ignoring the agitated complaints at his side. "So," he continued, cracking his neck. "Next block is..."

"Just up the stairs," Klamath told them, stepping to the side as he rubbed his arm and gestured toward the open staircase. "Hologram test room. It's a weird one though, just a warning... If it wasn't for the fact that Pete's in there," he continued with a sigh, "I'd say I was lucky not to get it." Hn?

"Pete?" Katsuya repeated idly, frowning as a wolf's howl came to mind. Odd... What the hell was that? He shook himself, stowing his hands in his pockets and looking forward before eventually starting up the steps. "Eh, I'll see in th' end I suppose." Maybe it was the 'Coppermine' guy the Vampire mentioned... "Nice meetin' yah 'Klamath'."

"See you later Olser!" Honda added, the two walking past the boy as he tensed.

"AH- I said to use my first name damn it! My first name!" He received no answer, and eventually turned away to scowl and grumble to himself. "_Damn Japanese and their last-name basis, what is this..!_" What was with him talking behind their back in another language?

Katsuya almost stopped to say that actually- but as he started up the stairs he could hear an almost wailing shout. "Eh- What th'-"

"What the hell is-"

"Yyyaaaaa_aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAA..!_"

The pair turned, watching owlishly as someone in green plummeted from a chute above and into a larger chute below the staircase. "Er... What.."

"_Oh shit, Kirk_!"

"Kirk?" As Honda turned to look at Katsuya the teen merely shrugged, shaking his head.

"Hey man, don' look at me! I don' get flashes f'r everything!"

"Yeah..."

"'But it'd be nice if I did', righ?"

The look on Honda's face told him quite clearly what he thought about having the words taken out of his mouth. "Oh haha," he muttered after recovering from the slight shock, smacking the blond on the back of the head as he ducked and laughed. "That's great. You going to tell me when my next meal is too?"

"I could."

"Seriously?"

On demand? "N-" He paused, before snickering as the image came to mind. "Yep."

Honda blinked. "What the hell, you get crap like that but not your opponent's next move..!"

"Hey," he mumbled darkly, "I won tha' match..!"

"Yeah," Honda responded as they moved up the stairs. "Barely."

"Like t' see you do better, 'Sunny'."

Honda paused, the two standing outside the door to whatever room they were heading for. "...You said you wouldn't mention that..."

"Guess I lied," he snickered, friend scowling at the reminder of prior virtual incidents.

"Bastard."

"Yep!" The card was slid through the door's key-lock, panels sliding off to the sides as a row of glass cylinders and odd lights met their vision. It was a fairly incredible change after the room behind them, but they said nothing for the moment, merely steadying themselves and moving.

"Looks like we're still underground," Honda muttered behind him, Katsuya slowly walking into the room to look around. Glass tubes, the lights beneath creating test-holograms... "Hey, Jonouchi," Honda called from behind him, pausing to look at one of the odd tubes and the tiger hologram suspended within it. "Don't get yourself caught in anymore traps got it?" T-Traps-!

"Gh- What th' hell kinda person d' you think I am?" The blond scowled, shaking his head. Sheesh... He crossed his arms, shuddering as he passed another tube and looked at the monster inside. "S-Sheesh... If it weren' f'r th' fact tha' I know better I'd almost say Seto-chan's 'xperimentin' on duel monsters..."

Honda nodded, staring at the dragon that was 'floating' in the tube beside him. "Tell me about it... It already looks like I could feel all of this thing's scales- This solid vision is pretty incredible..."

"Hehehe... Is it?" he asked, scratching the side of his head, turning from the next tube. "All I c'n say is tha' it's a little less detail-"

_-tpf_

"Nh?" A knock on the glass caught his attention and he turned, jumping back with a shout as an eerie and pale faced leer came through the glass. "H-HAAAAAAAHHHH! O-OBAKE!"

"NHAH_AHAHAHA_!" The glass tube slid upward, a leather-clad young man stepping forward with a grin. "AAAAHH! You should have seen your face!"

"Gh..." Wait... Human! He scowled, nonetheless putting as much distance between himself and the teen as possible. "Bastard...!" The man continued to chuckle, shaking his head.

"Whaaat... That scared you? Come on, it couldn't be that bad..." He laughed, cracking his knuckles with a stretch and a yawn. "Hahhh..! I was waiting there for so long, but in the end that was worth it..."

"Youuuuuu..."

"This... This must be 'Pete'," Honda muttered helping Katsuya up as the man blinked.

"Hn? Oh? Did one of the others mention me?" He was answered with silence, and decided to pass it off with another laugh. "Well," he decided, smile widening. "How interesting! But you know," he continued darkly, "For all that I've said, I might just be a 'Solid Vision' of 'Peter Coppermine'... After all," he continued, eyes narrowing almost to slits. "You never realized that one was 'Anzu Mazaki'..."

All humor evaporated from the air, along with fear and unease as the two before Pete narrowed their eyes. That... "What kinda asshole starts a conversation like that?" he hissed, fists clenching as their opponent continued to grin. "You... Where's th' duel field," he spat, "I'm gonna beat y' down w'thin two hits, hologram 'r not!"

Pete merely chuckled at the threat, raising a seemingly nonexistent eyebrow. "Ooooh... _Scary, scary_," he muttered in English, before turning with a nod. "Alright then 'Jonouchi Katsuya'... We'll get to it! The duel field is this way," he told them as he gestured to the side. "But you know," he continued, the field itself just a short distance away from the hologram testing, "Because of your previous success over Klamath, your prize increases ten-fold. Now anyone who beats you gets 100 dollars!" he laughed, expression the closest thing to genuine as one could believe in such a situation. "Not to mention," the man went on, "I just got new orders from above- Anyone who beats you gets to head straight to Yugi, no questions asked! So important... That has to be a motivation increaser, neh? Your situation isn't so bad..."

Not too bad? That just put him more at unease, if someone like Tenma decided he would be holding Yugi's fate in his hands. There was silence in response to his opponent's taunts, and as Pete followed the blond's stare his grin seemed to fade. Becoming a more hesitant expression, if not even understanding.

Whether or not he could see the small and seemingly anthropomorphic wolf beside him however was left for only him to know- the duel disks clicked into place as they positioned themselves on the field, and as the decks reshuffled he turned his eyes toward his opponent. "Le's jus' duel already," he snarled, narrowing his eyes and ignoring the werewolf standing beside them. "Got it?"

"Hnhnhn... Alright then..."

"_GO!_”

"I'll go first!" Katsuya shouted, cards flying toward his hand as he held his gaze toward the slowly shifting field around them. "Draw!" Watch. He'd toss this guy out in three turns... Three turns! He'd-

"Hey..." Nh? "You better keep a cool head about this," Honda warned from the side. "You barely made it through the last one..." Had it been any other time, he would have mouthed him off for implying he was going to lose. That wasn't what Honda was talking about though, and the singe marks on his only school uniform were a pretty good reminder of that.

"Got it," he instead responded, setting a card on the field and watching as the blank tablet that resulted immediately merged with the floor and vanished from sight. That was new. But focusing on the duel now... "Set one card face down," he began, before taking the next card to slide it in place. "And summon th' Little Winguard in d'fense mode!"

Another tablet rose from the ground, this time remaining firmly in place as an image of the familiar warrior came into being. Briefly the man across him looked to the card in apparent interest, even staring at his opponent's hands... However in the end, he turned his gaze to his own, smiling. "Well then... My turn! I summon the Para Mutant in attack mode!" he announced, the spirit at his side vanishing into a mist as the tablet came to the field. As the figure stepped out from the misting stone Katsuya found himself staring, head tilting almost in confusion toward the monster's appearance. He was pale skinned, and emaciated- the shirt and leather clothes he wore were clearly oversized, and around his neck was a thick collar and chain. At the moment, its power was the same as the Little Winguard's defense...

But there was something else here. He wasn't sure why, but the howl that kept sounding in his mind was giving him a fairly uneasy idea. "Before I end my turn," Pete announced, snapping the blond from his thoughts. "I set one card face down... ATTACK!" he roared, before switching his battle ready expression to one of calm, "Won't happen just now..."

"Gh- What-" What was that shout just now! He almost believed it damn it! "Th' hell is with tha' attitude!"

Para Mutant shrugged in silence, as if to say he agreed with Katsuya's accusation entirely. With the shrug he almost thought he even saw Pete look to the monster in disdain... But a closer look told him this wasn't the case and he tossed it from mind. Whatever...

Probably nothing anyways. "My turn," he grumbled, drawing his next card. Bastard... Casually switching his moves around like that... What was his game? "Summon th' Panther Warrior!" he decided in the end, watching as the tablet arose to his side. "Attack mode!" Hehehe...

Whole 'gang' getting back together again he found himself thinking, the humanoid cat making his way from the stone with a smirk. "_Hn_!" The monster cracked his neck, twirling his sword in his hands and making a few more warm-up stretches while the smoke of his tablet swirled about his feet. "_It's been a while now, hasn't it?_" he chuckled, narrowed cat eyes looking toward the blond.

"Heh... What're y' talkin' abou'?" he laughed as he shook his head. "You've been buggin' me all summer! Alrigh'... Panther Warrior!" he ordered, ignoring the muttered and confused English from the other end as the monster nodded and charged. "ATTACK!"

"_HHRRRRAAAAAAAHHH-!_"

"ACTIVATE TRAP!"

"SHIT-"

The cat skidded to a stop as Pete's blank tablet crumbled from existence, the dust forming a clawed amulet around Para-Mutant's neck. "Theriomorphic Jewel!" Pete announced, the mutant suddenly growing muscles and fur as it increased in size. Claws grew from where nails had been, loose clothing stiffened and stretched under pressure and the Panther Warrior stared in horror. "Paramutant becomes the Lycanthrope!" his opponent announced, pointing the beast forward. "And his power," he continued, Panther Warrior's ears pulling back as the formerly waif-like monster towered over him, "Now surpasses yours!"

Oh shit. "_RRRROOOOUURRRRRRRROOOOOOOO_!" And there was the howl he predicted. FUC-

"COUNTER ATTACK!" Pete ordered, a loud yowl entering the air as the wolf threw the ca down to the ground. "Crush the Panther Warrior!" Gh-!

A crack sounded through the air as the weaker monster was slammed further into the arena, the Lycanthrope grabbing the beast by his leg and flinging him violently to the side. "P-PANTHER!" The warrior's corpse lay motionless on the edge of the field, Pete narrowing his eyes as he looked at his opponent. That... Katsuya turned back, swallowing. "Gh... Bastard..."

"You're the one attacking without thinking!" Honda shouted from the side, his friend flinching in response. GH-

Saying something like that! "I ain-"

"You should listen to your friend," Pete said almost flatly, the blond scowling at the tone.

"GH- SHADDUP YOU!" Damn it all! As if he knew what the hell was going on here! As if...

Alright...

"Hahhhh..." Calm down, he told himself as he drew a card. Calm down, calm down... This kind of thing happened in every battle, and just because Lycanthrope decided to be particularly violent about it didn't mean... Anything...

(Shit, for a moment he thought Panther was still moving at the side there...)

"Phewww..." The body faded out of existence, Katsuya shaking himself yet again as he steadied himself. "Alrigh'..." Alright. It was all good. This guy wasn't getting to Yugi, and he wasn't going to lose. It was alright... "I set another trap card!" he announced, the tablet rising to his side at the far end of his still present trap hole. "An' I end my turn alrigh'? Bring it on 'Wolfy'!"

Pete raised an eyebrow, nonetheless holding whatever response he had as he drew his next card. "Hn. My turn," he stated, "And just for now... I'll activate a spell card from my hand," he decided, blowing some hair from his eyes as he set the card. "Future Telling Eye!" Future... EH? He blinked, watching as another wave of dust moved from the air to form an eye of sorts above its caster. "This allows me to see your two face down cards," he chuckled, the spell's effect already appearing in the back of his opponent's mind. "So I know exactly what you're doing!" ECK- Crap.

"You... You c'n see-" He turned to look at his tablet, wincing as it carved its image and settled back into dormancy while revealing itself to the field." Gh... Damn it..." His double attack card...

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." Damn bastard... "Well," Pete observed, chuckling under his breath. "'Rengeki' ah? Attack again if you land a hit on me... In that case," he decided with a shrug, "I suppose that with the monster you have now, I don't have to worry. Of course, your trap hole is a little bit of a problem with Lycanthrope so..." So stop planning out loud already! "Ah! I've got it!" Pete decided with an almost menacing tone, snapping a card into his hands with a grin. The blond across from him continued to scowl, almost growling aloud as the wolf beside Pete's new tablet stood in preparation for 'tribute'. "I'll set one card and, using the Lycanthrope as a sacrifice," Pete announced clearly, "I'll summon this monster!" Summon what- "Psychokinetic 'Mutant Highbrain'..!" WHA-

The wolf on the field gave a pain-filled howl as dust rose around it, followed by ethereal smoke. Sands and mists obscured it from sight, and within moments Katsuya found himself watching a column of 'white' take form, stretching from the floor to the ceiling above. The material narrowed in the center... Arms took form, stretching out with pale skin as darkened robes revealed themselves around the beast, with pale skin and sightless eyes staring forward in cold silence. And as numbers appeared in his mind Katsuya found himself frowning, even shaking his head in disbelief. Zero...

Attack 'zero', what...

"Watch out man... There's probably a pretty good reason why he did that," Honda muttered, his friend merely narrowing his eyes. Of course there was a good reason to do that, but-

"HIGHBRAIN," Pete abruptly ordered, the monster looking over his opponent in silent disdain as he stiffened. "ATTACK!"

_TELEKINESIS HAND FORCE_! It was just now that he realized why the smoke had yet to vanish completely, putting the shock of the Highbrain's 'voice' aside. As the shout tore through his mind a pair of hands seemed to form from the smoke and mist, shooting forward and over top of the trap hole with ease. With curled and seamlessly attached claws the hands ripped into the tablet, and as a dull shout met the air Katsuya continued to pale. "Hnhnhnhnhn... Trap hole doesn't work on your own monsters," Pete sneered, eyes wide as the Little Winguard was pulled free and motionless from the tablet, head hung downward in apparent slumber. "With this, I can attack you a different way! NOW," he ordered, the hands gripping Winguard's arms tightly and drawing the blade. "WINGUARD... ATTACK THE PLAYER!" What-

"Wha-"

"_Ngg..._" The blade rushed forward, and despite him moving to the side the blond found himself choking, eyes meeting with the monster's for a moment. The Winguard tensed, eyes widening as they regained consciousness... "_Nh... K-Katsuya..!_" The blade clattered to the ground as the hands faded from sight, Winguard stepping back in horror. "_Katsu-..!_"

"Nngghh..." Shit... Katsuya grit his teeth, stumbling back somewhat as he looked down at his side. The blade didn't meet its target, thank god. He'd barely made it but... A small bit of red was slowly seeping into the white fabric, and as he swallowed uneasily he resisted the urge to cover it with a hand. He'd get blood on his cards...

And someone would see, so he couldn't do that, he couldn't...

Pete had been laughing he noticed dully, blinking away the short dizzy spell the attack had left him with. Key word being had. The sound had faded when Honda's quick '_Jonou-_' had come over the air, and when a small bit of blood trailed down Winguard's blade and to the ground. The monster's blood and weapons were invisible to everyone else, that was true.

His wasn't.

And now, it was quite clear that something was wrong. "What on earth?" Pete muttered with narrowed eyes, before shaking himself off. It was nothing, Katsuya thought to himself as he moved his foot over the slight pool, nothing... Nothing, just pass it off as a trick of the light... "Jonouchi..."

"_N-Nnnnh... Katsuya?_" the Winguard whispered with a swallow, "_Are you..._"

"I got this," he muttered stiffly, drawing his next card, "Jus'-" Wait...

Just wait.

He blinked, pained expression slowly growing into a wide and almost mischievous grin as he looked across the field. Ah-

...

"Hehehehehe..." Ohhhh.. "Hehehahaha..." This... "Hnhna_haha..!_" This was good! Highbrain had zero attack; with nothing to protect him now...

'_Is it my turn then?_' he thought he heard someone whisper, the blond looking down at his hand as the grin became a smaller and more subtle smirk. '_Will I get to fight?_' Hn? Who was-

He blinked, picking up one of the cards in his hand and looking it over for a moment. White armor met his gaze, with an enormous sword gripped in the warrior's hand. This one eh? Well. His grin grew, eyes narrowing almost into slits.

Why not? "My turn Pete... Yer gonna regret doin' tha'! First I set one card face down!" he shouted, the all too familiar Grave Robber hopping from it's growing stone to wait at the side for further orders. "Next," he continued, giving his monster a steady nod, "I offer Little Winguard as sacrifice, and summon this!" The winguard was vanishing into dust as they gave a slow and still shaken nod... The card was placed on the field but his eyes remained set forward, even as the sand and light took form at his side, replacing the Winguard's image on the carving with that of a great and powerful swordsman. Now... "Th' brave warrior... DIVINE KNIGHT ISHZARK!"

In an explosion of light the smoke and dust cleared from the air, the Highbrain across from him widening his eyes a moment as his summoner stared. Standing at his side now was a monster garbed in blue-white leather and metal, a blade almost as large as himself in his hand. His helm shielded his eyes from sight, and in a manner almost similar to the Winguard before it there were metal 'wing' decorations along the edges of his wear.

Taking a single step forward he looked down, eyes barely visible from the side and from beneath his gear. "_...You had her worried,_" he eventually said, Katsuya turning in slight shock as the Knight went on. "_The Winguard..._" Eh- The winguard-

Wait what. "Wai', he's a she?" he muttered, watching as the monster stepped forward again and raised his blade. "O-Oi, what th' hell!" Answer him damn it! "OI!"

"...Who are you talking to?" Pete muttered, following his opponent's gaze with a frown.

"Ignore him," Honda responded.

"What-"

"ATTACK!"

"EH!" Ishzark was already charging, and as the warrior approached Pete's expression shifted into a humored smirk. The order to attack had never been properly announced, but truthfully it never had to be...

For as the blade came swinging toward the Highbrain, it faded from sight, leaving the sword to meet nothing but air. "Ny- What th' hell-" What was-

"Nyhahahahaha... Whoops!" Pete said with a laugh, the tablet at his side carving into existence. There was nothing but a clock and a grid on its front, yet as he stared at the stone a moment longer a white smoke faded from it, slowly taking form once again. "Too bad," his opponent sighed. "You triggered my trap."

Trap?

Katsuya scowled as the Highbrain took form again, fists clenched tight. Already the details of the spell were coming to mind, the monster before him slowly stepping back into position. "Hehehe... I activated 'Teletemporator'- moving Highbrain forward in time to my Main Phase and out of your sight!" Ishzark's blade dug into the ground as it crashed beneath its weight in the meantime, the monster looking up at Highbrain as the mute being smirked.

_'A pity,_' it murmured within his mind, Ishzark biting back a snarl in response. '_The Winguard's trainer will have to wait his turn again..._' Wait his-

Wait, what was this about trainers and masters and...

"_Bite your tongue Highbrain,_" the monster growled. "_You're the one attacking without care..._"

'_And I was supposed to know I was facing the first true 'sensitive' since years before?_' This again?

What? "_I swear to the Gods when I get my sword out..!_" What the hell were they arguing about, what-

"Nn-hn!" Eh? "Are you listening?" Katsuya jerked his attention back to Pete, the man shaking his head as his opponent coughed.

"Er..."

"Hn! Obviously you missed it," he muttered, almost huffing at the fact. "I said your combo is useless; your attack missed, and now it's my turn! You have just as many lifepoints remaining as your monster has attack power... So prepare to fall on your own sword!" he laughed, pointing his hand forward with a snap. "It all ends this turn, 'Jonouchi'!" His own sw-

Shit, it'd be 'VS Malik' all over if that connected! "J-Jou-"

Crap crap crap- "ATTACK HIGHBRAIN!" he heard Pete roar. "HAND FORCE!" Three...

The tablets were crumbling to dust, and the Graverobber had vanished from sight. Two...

The blond narrowed his eyes, watching as the hands approached the knight that again stood by his side, Ishzark bracing himself for the worst...

One...

And the hands missed.

"Wh... What?" Pete hissed, Katsuya snapping his fingers almost lazily with a smirk. "Hehehehehe... Thanks f'r th' free escape!" he laughed, the Graverobber at the side leaning on his equipment and giggling as he watched the results of his handiwork yet again. "Looks like I got th' upper hand again..."

"Gh- That..." Pete looked over his hand, frantically looking for a counter as he realized what was happening. "Shit..." 'Teletemporlator' skipped to the next main phase. "Shit!" Which gave him time to attack...

"Hehehehe..." Which meant he won. "It's my turn now," Katsuya shouted, opponent scrambling over his cards. "You know what tha' means?"

"Th... That..."

"_My turn,_" Ishzark snarled, stalking toward the Highbrain as the psychic swallowed.

'_Now now... See here,_' he stammered, backing away. '_I'm sure we can work this out..._'

"_Shut up_!" both Ishzark and Katsuya snarled, the latter pointing forward.

"ATTACK... An' watch th' exact thing y' tried t' pr'vent happen righ' now! Highbrain is destroyed!" he spat, Ishzark's blade cleaving through the smoking monster before another word could even be uttered within his mind. "An tha' triggers my trap..! Rengeki... CONNECTED ATTACK!" he continued as the blade was pulled up from the ground. Attack twice after dealing damage to lifepoints... "So... Let's go for round two shall we? NOW!" he roared, Ishzark swinging the blade forward. BREAK DOWN DISTORTION!"

"GHHA_HHGGG-_!" Pete jumped back, cards flying from his hands in the force of the blade. "H-Hahhh..." A few chips came from the ground before him where the blade sunk in- as the field began to fade he looked from the ground toward Katsuya, swallowing. "You..." His eyes widened as they met with Katsuya's feet, quickly turning upward. "How did you..."

The blond merely chuckled, giving a shrug. "Heh... What c'n I say... I don' fall f'r illusions 'f defeat."

At this Pete's frown seemed to increase, and as the last remains of the battle vanished he shook his head and tried to stand. "No... No, I mean..."

"Jonouchi," Honda said carefully, the blond turning. "...Tell me that cut isn't as bad as it looks..." Cut?

Looking down at the floor, Katsuya quickly stumbled back and forced back a choked cry. Oh.

That cut.

The one that was still bleeding.

The one that got blood all over his shoe. "Ssffff... Shit," he hissed, the remainder of the field evaporating in his panic. "I forgot about that!"

"You forgot you were stabbed in the freaking gut!"

"Well it wasn' like las' time, jus'-"

"I'm getting a first aid kit," Pete said flatly, darting off to the side with an almost disturbed frown.

"Firs' aid-" What- "But it isn'-"

Honda grabbed the blond's shoulder, pushing him down to a seated position and shaking his head before stooping down beside him. "Do yourself a favor for once Jonouchi... Take his advice."

"..." For a moment, he wanted to knock Honda aside and say to hell with it but...

_'Do it,_' he heard a few monsters in his deck growl, the blond sighing in defeat. He supposed it was a good idea.


	4. Dechal

She could remember how she'd gotten here. Somewhat at least.

Mostly.

It wasn't until recently that she'd been able to do that after all, so it was rather hard to tell.

Anzu's eyes were closed to the world, her body submerged in what felt like the coldest waters of the sea. Though her clothes were still there from the evening before, right down to the cheap sandals she'd worn to the store, she felt as though she'd been stripped completely bare and tossed in the oceans of the southern poles.

'_Where is this?_' she wanted to ask, slowly looking around the darkness and holding herself close. Though her eyes in here were open, there was nothing to see. Even a cleared mind couldn't help this, and so again the question repeated with a slightly altered tone. '_...What is this? ...How did I...?_'

How did she get there, she tried to tell herself. How? Her mind was clear- she could remember it clearly now. She could remember going home that evening. The day before school, the final day of summer. Evidently a cause for celebration in her mother's eyes, so she'd asked her to decide on something 'special' for dinner.

That was how she'd been caught outside she supposed. But what had she been doing again, she asked herself with narrowed eyes. Not just for that day...

What had she been doing? For a number of days that summer she'd visited with Yugi, or worked on her summer homework. She'd contacted Shizuka a few times, having visited the hospital in her stead to check up on Ryuzaki as well- and speaking of the hospital... She'd actually run into Haga of all people while there. That was odd. It was just in the hall on the way to the stairs, so who knew what happened. He'd ignored her for the most part as well- there was an odd look on his face she had noticed...

She couldn't place what it was though. That day however. The last evening...

She'd gone to the market as far as she could recall. Malik's mentions of sukiyaki the few weeks prior had put a little bug in her mind she supposed, and when she checked the fridge for some food to try getting her own cooking done half the ingredients were missing. Between her mother's request for something 'special' and that, she'd decided she might as well go the extra length for it. So she went out, throwing her bag over her shoulder. And when she was on her way back...

She could remember the car pulling up beside her, a window rolling down. The car itself was fairly noticeable. A black rolls royce, and though it was obviously rented (or so the 'Malik' in her mind told her), it was just as obviously not for show so much as familiarity. The man inside was asking for directions but try as she might she couldn't recall what he'd even looked like. All she remembered was what he'd said after she'd given the directions to the Kaiba-Corp building. Just a quick '_Thank you very much! By the way..._'

**Who's that behind you?**

Her face had been covered by something before she could even react.

A cloth, or at least it felt like one for the moment. And then just as she'd realized that, she saw darkness... Before she'd woken up with a snap, eyes wide with the same fear she'd felt at that very moment.

"_N... _Nggg_..._" Anzu shuddered somewhat, breathing cold and almost forced as she rolled over from her bed. "What.._._" What was this, she asked herself with a frown. Meeting her gaze at the moment was her bedroom, as it always had been. Her 'half loft' bed above her dresser, blanket somewhat lumped up on the side thanks to the summer heat. Her the desk at the side near the window, lamp still bent over where she'd left it the night before.

A few books in the corner from where she'd been doing some 'pet research'- she'd initially wondered why she was doing that before deciding to send an angry email to Malik about his memories getting in the way of things again actually...

She'd very quickly gotten a response saying that he himself was very upset about suddenly not being fond of beetles, and that she should probably just assume Newton's Third Law on anything that happened from that point on. Which was to say that if she was doing something 'Malik-ish', he was probably doing something 'Anzu-ish', which meant he was probably feeling just as awkward if not possibly more-so.

She supposed he was right- and that he honestly had just as much reason to complain if she decided to whine about it in the end.

But it still annoyed the heck out of her that she couldn't stop looking at that page on pet beetl-

"Anzu..!" The woman turned, blinking as her mother's voice came over the air. Hn? Mom? "ANZU! Wake up or you'll be late for school!" Late, but it was only-

Her eyes widened as she looked at the alarm clock on her bed, throwing the sheets aside in panic. "AAh..! I'm up mom-!" She scrambled, half tripping out of her bed as she ran to grab her things. Shoot, shoot...

Homework in back, uniform on bathroom door, shower, shower, shower! (How could she have slept in like that!) "You better not take too long in there..!"

"I won't mom!" The water was already warming up against her hand, splattering off the sides even. Ten minutes she told herself. No more than ten minutes or she'd be late on the first day back-! Showers tended to last around that time anyway really, at least before school. Get cleaned, get dressed, get breakfast. That was how it worked.

Even so, it wasn't long before she found herself simply turning it off anyways- she didn't really need a shower a voice told her, the woman finding herself frowning somewhat at the thought. She wasn't sure why, but it felt almost like it wouldn't do anything... Even with the sweaty state the night before had left her in.

(...Ew...)

"ANZU!"

She pulled herself from her thoughts, throwing her clothes on and grabbing her backpack with a shout. "Shoot... Coming mom!" The girl rushed into the kitchen, grabbing the lunch she'd prepared the evening before from the fridge while her mother prepared herself breakfast in the next room. "Ahhh... What time is it..."

"Seven thirty," she said flatly, ignoring the fact that her daughter had supposedly been aware of the time already.

"You didn't wake me up earlier!"

"I thought you were until I realized the shower never came on." The elder woman poked her head around the corner of the room, frowning somewhat. "Come to think," she muttered with narrowed eyes, "That shower didn't seem very long..."

She merely grabbed one of the rice-balls in the fridge at that, slinging the backpack over her shoulder. "No time," she quickly answered, stuffing some of the rice in her mouth and running to the hall to pull her shoes on. "I have to run or I'll be late-!"

"So I see," the woman commented, before catching a glimpse of what her daughter was eating. "AH- Anzu!" she barked, "That isn't a proper breakfast!"

"I'll see you later mom!"

"ANZU!"

It was already sunny out she'd noticed dully, looking up at the sky as she ran for her bus stop. Despite the somewhat early hour of the day, the summer's dying influence still brought an early rise to the sun. She'd laughed to herself at that thought, picking up speed as she ran down the street. She had to stop feeling surprised over these obvious things she told herself- stop letting Malik's memories of darkness underground influence her, stop letting-

"...This place..."

She wondered what the chances could have been- that the place where she'd given those directions would be the same location as her bus stop. She had to pass it to get to the store after all. Within such a short distance of her house though, it was almost surprising that she'd dreamed all that went on the evening before.

"There's even a market bag there," she laughed, walking toward the stop when it was made obvious that the bus had yet to arrive, "Just like-"

Hers.

The blood drained from her face the moment she looked over the bag that lay fallen on the ground, a few eggs cracked and long spoiled on the pavement before it. Vegetables here and there, straps stepped on, meat lapped away by whatever stray dogs or cats were in the area...

A hissing sound pulled her attention from her thoughts, and as the bus doors opened she turned. "A- Ah..." Fumbling she hurried onto the bus, flipping her pass to the driver before moving to stand on the side. "..." Outside the window, she could see the bags for just a moment longer, before the bus' movement had banished it from sight.

The market bag.

Her bag.

If it was a dream, it wouldn't have been there. If it wasn't, she wouldn't have woken up in her bed, with her mother none the wiser.

So then why she asked herself, holding her head and grimacing in pain as the darkness surrounded her. Or rather how, she supposed. How could it be possible for one or even the other to happen without her knowing? How...

_Put it from mind_, a soft voice seemed to whisper to her at that moment, Anzu quite vividly recalling herself leaning back against the bus window and staring off with dull eyes at those words. Put it from mind, school was more important wasn't it? But was it really, she responded mentally, this seemed a little serious-

_Put it from mind_...

So she had.

She'd exited the bus at the school stop, walked in, and joined class with her friends. She'd talked with Yugi about their summer 'date', almost tripped over herself when it turned out it was the 'other' Yugi listening in rather curiously...

They had English, Gym, Math and History, and halfway through the day lunch had gone by just as expected. Tests to check up on whether or not they'd bothered studying over the summer were handed out of course ('_SHIT_', shouted Jonouchi), and overall she felt...

As though she was only half there. She didn't say anything of course- if anything she probably acted more chipper than she ordinarily would, joining in the conversations of the day with almost menial things in order to lift the mood. Laughing when one of the 'guys' (Yugi didn't count... Most of the time) did something stupid, making some kind of response when someone said something to her...

And then 'Tenma' had appeared. And try as she might have, she hadn't been able to correct herself that time. She hadn't been able to tell herself that this was just a dream, or that she was hallucinating, or that nothing was wrong. No...

By this point she just felt stupid for not even realizing what had happened.

"What..." She'd felt half there all day... "What is this..." Now she felt even worse... "What..." She felt sick... She felt...

Dead.

"...Yu-"

She was vanishing.

Within seconds her body was turning into ash and smoke, her senses fading into darkness. All she could see of the rooftop were fading blurs, hear the shouts of the others as they stared, horrified...

"Yugi!" she shouted, voice barely a whisper. "What..."

The entire world had vanished right then, leaving her completely blind. And when she opened her eyes... She saw nothing but darkness.

Nothing but liquid shadows curling over her form, voices and hissed whispers filling the air. And though she wanted to ask who was there she could barely find it within herself to shiver, instead pulling herself closer and clutching the thin t-shirt she wore. All there was was darkness...

Darkness and curious voices, and as she held herself close she found herself almost ready to cry. Where was this?

_Darkness_, she thought someone answered.

How did she get here?

_Ask yourself_.

When... When was she going to get out?

There was no answer to that question, and a few moments later she couldn't even remember asking that. All she could do was close her eyes...

And hope.

* * *

-Error; Incorrect Key.

"Hnnn..." The device flashed red as they both stood before it, eyes narrowed with annoyance at their current obstacle.

_-swp_-

_-BZZZZZT_.

-Error; Incorrect Key.

Hnnnng, again! "_I don't think it's working Aibou_."

"Hnnggg..." Yugi frowned, looking over the card in his hands. "Weird," he muttered under his breath. "We haven't run into anyone else so far... If there's no one here, how are we supposed move forward?"

The boy turned, eyes drifting over the almost black hall. So far they'd come up quite a number of floors with no trouble; already they were on the tenth of twenty, passing closed doors and signs pointing toward staff cafeterias and washrooms. Despite this however there wasn't a soul in sight- it was as though the entire building had been abandoned for years.

"Hn..."

"_Perhaps there's another way,_" his partner offered, crossing his arms in thought. The spirit hovered from the side, gesturing forward. "_...Look,_" he added with a nod. "_There's a light over there; perhaps it's the next professor._" Hnn...

"Maybe," he muttered, looking toward the dull light and moving toward it somewhat hesitantly. It seemed properly suspicious after all- a single light on a floor that was entirely dark. The room where the light came from was labelled cafeteria oddly enough, and even from outside the large entryway he could see the enormous glass windows letting light into the room, a few potted trees sitting near the side for decoration.

It wasn't until he actually made his way in however that he spotted the one who had likely turned the light on. "_Hn..? 'Obaa'?_" his other self questioned, brows furrowing in confusion. Ah- while there was indeed an old woman there...

"Other me, that's a little rude," he muttered, ignoring the '_it's true!_' coming from behind him as he walked toward the old woman his partner had spotted.

The woman in question seemed right at home in the cafeteria; she'd set herself up with a teapot and a cup in fact, and had only just set it down to turn toward the one interrupting her time. She was Japanese from what he could tell- and settled beneath a blanket in a rather advanced looking wheelchair, hands folded calmly in her lap. As to what she was doing here, he had a feeling that one of the professors was currently visiting a relative that they refused to leave alone.

Or at least something similar to that particular situation. She seemed a little too nice to be caught up in this really. "...Excuse me?" he called out, the bespectacled woman turning her full attention to the boy.

"...Ah..." Far too nice, he corrected mentally.

"Excuse me, obaasan... Could I ask you something?"

"Oh..." She blinked, nodding. "Go right ahead," she responded kindly, a light smile on her face. "Is there something wrong? Are you looking for someone?"

Right on the dot. "I am," he said somewhat confidently. "I was having a few problems with the door you see... So I was wondering..." He lifted his arm, gesturing to the duel-disk latched over it in 'stasis' position. "Have you maybe seen anyone with a device like this?" he asked, soon bringing his arm down as the woman stared.

"Hnn... Something like that?" The elder shoo her head, glasses balancing rather precariously on the edge of her nose. "No, I'm afraid I haven't seen anyone pass by here," she admitted, turning her chair to face the boy. "I'm quite sorry..." No one huh...

"Ah... Well, I suppose that's alright," he decided, rubbing his head and turning. So she didn't know... Alright then. "I'll just go somewhere el-"

"Are you looking for someone to duel perhaps?" she asked, Yugi blinking in surprise.

"Ah- Duel... Do you know someone who duels then?" the boy managed to get out, receiving a chuckle in response.

"Ohh, I should hope so. Despite my old age, I certainly know a thing or two about duel monsters. My grandchildren introduced me," she continued, driving the chair away from the table to face him. "They taught me how to play, and in the end I couldn't resist buying myself a few cards of my own. It's quite the addictive game," she chuckled, shaking her head.

"_This... Then she duels?_" his other half muttered in slight surprise, shaking his head. Hah...

"Like Grandpa," he found himself muttering, before shaking it off. He should stop being surprised really. "So... You're a duelist too then?" he said somewhat louder, the elderly woman nodding in response.

"Quite right. Though my reasons for dueling are likely a little different from your own..." Hahaha...

"_I doubt anyone's dueling for the same thing we are,_" his partner grumbled, Yugi holding back a response as he bit his tongue.

"That... That's fine," he instead answered, coughing somewhat awkwardly as the spirit continued to mutter under his breath. "Everyone has a reason right?" Though he should probably be looking for the professor really...

"That's right..." Yes, and not to be rude... "But you see," the woman chuckled, tapping a button on the side of her chair, "My reason is quite specific. My dear boy," she continued, whirring meeting the air as a loud click followed, "My reason is to make sure you move no further than where you stand!"

With a resounding clack the device that had pieced itself together within the woman's chair flipped forward, a thick and obviously modified form of dueldisk coming forward. "Th-That..." With a wide and welcoming gesture the woman chuckled, turning her chair to properly face the boy as she pulled a deck from in her pocket. Something as sudden as this...

He'd found the next card professor. "Hnhnhn... I have heard many things about you 'Mutou Yugi'," she complimented, bowing her head. "The 'King of Games' and the Champion of Japan... It's quite a feat," she continued with a chuckle. "My name is Katou Maiko- member of the Card Professors of the USA- and unless you don't wish to move on," she warned sternly, "I suggest you prepare for a duel."

"D-Duel you?!" Yugi repeated, still partially in shock.

"Is that a problem then?" she asked, slipping the deck into her disk.

"_Problem?!_" his other half snarled. "_Is that an insult, 'Old Hag'...!_"

"It's an old woman other me! And stop being rude!" he protested, "She can't even hear you!"

"_No matter!_"

"She's a GRANDMOTHER!"

"_And Grandpa duels fine as well!_ I'm FIGHTING!" he roared, abruptly swapping places with his still semi-shocked partner. "Prepare yourself! When it comes to the end, I'll be the one to win!"

"Ohohohoh..." The elder chuckled, spinning her chair to face the boy. "Quite the change in attitude," Maiko observed, moving the wheelchair over and across from her opponent. "Well... We'll just see about that. How about you go first now dear? We'll play this through and decide at the end."

"Hn! Very well then," the 'other' Yugi answered, drawing himself a hand of cards. Holograms shot into existence as he set a single card, giving his opponent a curt nod while a stationary monster came to the field. "I set Big Shield Guardna in defense mode," he announced, the enormous shield almost hiding him from sight. "End turn!"

2600 defense points would be more than enough to act as a shield for now. He couldn't afford to rush in on someone after all- he'd work on attack once he had an idea of Maiko's own strategies. And as to what those were...

The woman across from him adjusted her classes, taking her card with a nod. "My turn then," she said calmly, her own dueldisk resting across her lap like a sort of table. "I'll summon this... Leprechaun in attack mode." The small one-shoed elf appeared in a flash of light, card revealing its tiny amount of power to her opponent. Four hundred attack. Now what could that do he wondered, watching the tiny 'elf' hover before him. "Next," Maiko was saying, Yugi's eyes narrowing suspiciously, "I play the equip spell 'poison bowgun', equipping it to my monster." Poison bow- The crossbow appeared in the monster's hand, taking aim toward its opponent with ease. "...Which allows me to destroy one card on the field! And I choose your shield," the woman continued, her monster's gun clicking as it fired an arrow toward him. With ease the bolt pierced through the shield, Guardna vanishing in a shower of light as its summoner ducked under the force behind his arm. "The Bowgun and the Elf... A simple yet effective strategy to make a 'weakling' a beast!"

"Gh..." He'd guessed. The hologram on the field faded into mist as a new arrow appeared in the bowgun's shaft, Yugi biting his lip.

"Hnnn... That was almost too easy," Maiko muttered, clicking her tongue almost reproachfully. "Are you even trying?" There was no response, and she merely smiled. "Well... I'll set a card before finishing for now..."

"Hn. Not bad..."

"Mmm?" The other Yugi smirked, eyes narrowing somewhat as he looked up from where his monster once sat.

"I said 'not bad'! You're rather good at this, putting together a strategy that quickly." First move takeovers were difficult for the most part. It was mostly based on a luck of the draw after all, something he'd built his deck to work with. However, it was still hard to do that without sacrificing power...

It looked like this match would be fun. "Oh..? You think so?" the elder 'asked', hiding her smile behind one hand. "My my, quite the compliment to me," she laughed. "Coming from the King of Games, that's nothing to take lightly... You'll have to pass the thanks onto my grandchildren," she continued, face somewhat flushed. "It's all thanks to them that I can play now. After I defeat you, I'll be sure to use the prize toward some new things for them..." Defeat? Hah!

As if! "...Odd," he chuckled, smirk growing wider. "I could have sworn I told you I would win this match! It's my turn now," he continued, drawing the next card and making the move he'd already decided upon moments before. "I'll set two cards face down... And summon the Jack's Knight!" The card shimmered into the air, as did the familiar yellow armor of the long-haired swordsman. The monster's blade gleamed under the already evening glow outside the window, and with narrowed eyes he too his stance forward. "Now," he announced, the knight standing almost stiff in his usual silent state of living light, "Attack the leprechaun!"

"_Hnnn..!_" With a curt nod the monster charged, and just as quickly he found his blade digging into the thick bark of a tree. "_Gh-_"

"Not so fast!" With a swift tap a button was clicked on the disk, holographic trees surrounding them in an instant. "Activate my face down spell, the field 'Deep Forest'. A truly deadly combo," she chuckled, her monster suddenly hidden from view by the leaves surrounding them, "You won't be able to find or attack me, but I can still attack you thanks to my equip card!" He already knew that. Damn it... "My move," the woman went on, 'Jack' merely widening his eyes as he attempted to locate his opponent, "I set one card face down, and following that attack! Now Leprechaun," she ordered, the imp appearing from behind one of the trees and cackling. "POISON ARROW!"

As the bolt fired toward the Jack's knight Yugi found himself smiling despite the monster's destruction. It tore into his monster's chest and in an instant the monster faded from sight, yet with closed eyes he understood. So that was her strategy then? Hide and attack- a guerrillas strike. Well... That was plenty easy for him to counter.

"Hn?" Across from him Maiko raised an eyebrow, the expression on her opponent's face obvious even from a distance. "Such a positive expression you have," she noted. "You should be in the middle of a crisis right now..."

"A crisis?" he repeated, tapping his duel-disk with a laugh. "I don't think so- this card certainly doesn't fit the word 'crisis'! I activate 'Circle of Illusion'!" he shouted, the seal abruptly latching onto the still present leprechaun on the field. As the hologram stiffened and locked in place the smirk grew, light already appearing at the side as he made his next move. "You won't be able to hide any more... Moreover," he continued as he drew his card, "It's my turn now!" And the card he drew was... Ah- Perfect! "I summon Gazelle, King of the Mythical Beasts!" Yugi announced, the lion-like creature shimmering into being with a roar as an alternate card was set upon the field. "Now... Slaughter the leprechaun," he ordered. "MYTHIC STRIKE!"

"_GRRRAAAOOOO_!" Gazelle's claws tore through the hologram like hot butter, the monster not even needing to move from its place to attack. As the Leprechaun vanished in showering light the bowgun did the same- the cards faded from sight, and in their place was Maiko's face down and the forest she'd brought into existence. And yet as he watched the remaining light fade away, he could hear something other than Gazelle's growling breathing.

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." What? The boy took his eyes off Gazelle, the monster in question stalking toward one of the trees with a yawn. "Hahahhaha... Hnnn..." Wh-What! Was Maiko...

Laughing? Even Gazelle looked up with a confused growl, a frown almost appearing on the lion-monster's face. "You... How can you possibly laugh?"

"How can I not?" she responded, still laughing as her holographic card swung upward. "Can't you hear it? The sad, lonely voice of the forest fae... Coming to avenge the smaller ones..."

"._..Fae_?" Yugi repeated, narrowing his eyes as his other stared. "_As in fairies?_" Wh-

Fairies? "What..?"

-_dmn...-_

What was that sound...

_-Dmmn..-_

"What's going on?"

_-DMN_...

With the sound of rustling leaves the holographic trees shifted and twisted, green-fingered hands pushing past to stand behind the elder who summoned it. On enormous clawed feet the holographic monster stood, light misting off its form from the recent summon as it stared down toward its opponent. This thing...

"What in the world..." Great and tall the monster stood, carrying over its slouched armored shoulders an enormous bat. With a gaping mouth and wild eyes it stared forward, Maiko still laughing as her opponent ground his teeth.

"Meet the Forest Guard, the Green Baboon!" she chuckled, gesturing to the hologram at her side. Despite its name, it certainly didn't resemble an actual 'Baboon'. It was stooped and hulking yes, but it was no ape. "When this card is in my hand I can sacrifice 1000 points to summon it to the field," Maiko explained, "And at any time I so desire. My first strategy might have failed," she stated, clicking her tongue somewhat as she drew a card. "But my next one will assuredly stand for me. And now it is my turn!” she laughed, switching her new card for another in her hand. "I'm sure you've noticed by now that your own monster has access to the forest's power... As a beast type, it's only natural. So, since I can't attack Gazelle," Maiko decided, the monster in question looking up at the sound of its name, "I'll play this... The Coloured Chameleon! Allowing my monster to attack either one monster or the player themselves directly during my turn! The Forest Guard will be invisible to your eyes," she warned, narrowing her eyes as the Baboon's hologram faded from sight. "Be on your guard... He could be anywhere..." Any...

Anywhere? Yugi's heart pounded in his chest, the only thought running through his mind now being panic. True, he wasn't as 'sensitive' as Jonouchi, but at the same time he couldn't take a direct hit if he expected to win- and if he didn't time himself with the proper defense...

"_Where did it go?_" his lighter half muttered, looking around almost in fear as synthesized sounds of the forest continued to echo around them. "_Where?_" Where?

"_Grrrrnnnnn..."_ Gazelle's low growls took his attention, the monster pulling itself to his feet to snarl at seemingly empty space. "_Grrrrooooooouuuu..._" That...

Yugi's attention moved toward the monster, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. Obviously Gazelle had an idea but-

_-dnm...-_

That sound.

_-dmn..._-

That sound, it was-

"KH-"

"FOREST GUIOLTINE!" Maiko snapped, her opponent turning just in time to find a holographic bat beating him downward. "The chances are in my favor!" she continued, the baboon vanishing just as quickly as it came while Yugi grimaced. "Admit defeat!" Defeat?

"Tch..." He winced, rubbing his shoulder as he stood back up while Gazelle growled darkly from his side. "Never!" he growled, drawing his card. He seemed to be finding himself in another 'all or nothing draw' he noted darkly. Not good. So... He looked toward the card, before smirking. "...Hn." Perfect, he thought to himself, eyes narrowing as he set it to the field. "You're done for Maiko. This is the end! I'll play this card in attack position," he shouted, cards set on the disk while he spoke, "Using Gazelle as sacrifice! ARISE!" he roared, the monster padding forward as it vanished into a shower of sparks, "The devil himself... THE ARCHFIEND OF GILFER! And following that," Yugi continued, setting still more cards on the disk as Gazelle's remains flamed upward in the form of the great winged demon, "I equip it with this... Hellfire's Flame!"

The spell that destroyed field spells, dealing damage to all other monsters save itself in return. And as the monstrous demon snarled in place the flames were already surrounding its feet. So...

"With Hellfire's Flame in effect," he snarled, "I think you know what's next... GET READY!" the boy shouted, hand hovering over his duel disk. "NOW-"

"DE-SPELL!"

"DE-SPELL!"

"What..." Maiko's eyes widened as both player's holograms flipped forward, identical lock-and-key images facing each other from the cards. "This..."

"Hnhnhn... Too bad for you!" 'Yugi' chuckled, shaking his head. "My card overrides yours... So I'm afraid this is the end! GO!" he roared, pointing the demon forward as it flew above the field. "Activate the equipped spell!

"_HELLFIRE'S FLAME ATTACK_!" Wh-What? Gilfer was speaking-

Before Yugi could even think of the sound of yet another monster's voice his vision was filled with red, the boy wincing and ducking behind his arm. The synthesized flames devoured everything in sight- it shrank the Forest Guard to almost half its size, and scattered the trees into 'ashes' on the wind, taking 1000 points of power and life from all but the source.

And as the smoke cleared Maiko was left looking around, crossing her arms with a sigh. "Oh my... It seems there's nothing I can do," she chuckled, shaking her head. "Go ahead boy- you earned this match." Hn! He'd gladly finish it then!

"In that case, time for Gilfer's normal attack," he announced, again pointing the demon forward as it inhaled. "Go... DEMONIC BLAZE!" This time the flames that filled the air took everything- the monsters, the cards...

Even the wind that was left in its wake was gone, disks clicking back into a stasis while he walked forward. As he'd said, he had won. And despite this Maiko still smiled, as did he himself. "That was a good duel young man," she chuckled, pulling a key card from her breast pocket. "Quite fun..." Yes...

"It was," he responded honestly, taking the card in his hands with a slight bow. He'd almost left things with the compliment- but his lighter half decided that would be rude. And given how much he'd been fretting in the background...

"As promised," the woman went on, pulling Yugi from his thoughts, "Your way forward... You'll want to go upstairs," she continued, gesturing to the staircase at the side, "Through the second cafeteria entrance. In addition-"

-_tp. tp. tp_.

"Hn?" Clapping entered the air as Maiko spoke, each of them turning to follow the sound. That sound... Where was it coming from-

"_Other me!_" Yugi abruptly cried, eyes widening in horror as his darker half followed his gaze. "_Look!_" Wha-

Standing on the second level of the cafeteria, near white hair shadowing his eyes...

"Gh... TENMA!" he hissed, stepping back in shock.

"Oh... Now this is interesting," Maiko muttered, turning back to watch her former opponent pale. "...Yugi?"

"Tch..." The boy bolted from the spot, racing up the stairs toward the man that was currently seated calmly at one of the many tables. "Tenma!"

"_Other me, calm down!_" What? How could he possibly calm down, this was the one who took- "_If he has Anzu's body there's no telling what he'll do!_" Yugi protested from behind him, shaking his head. "_So please..._"

...Right...

He stopped a number of feet away, swallowing back his rage and forcing himself into apparent composure. "Tenma... So you've come down here, have you?" he spat, eyes shadowed as he spoke.

The man shrugged, calm smirk over his face. "Well... Technically I wasn't supposed to actually leave the top of this building," he admitted, brushing a bit of hair from his eyes. "But with all these duels going on... I just couldn't help myself. I decided to come down here and watch," he continued, chuckling darkly. "After all, there's still seven more..." Gh...

Seven... "_Jonouchi might run into them,_" Yugi realized with a short intake of breath. "_...I wonder... ...Other me?_" he whispered, his partner merely clenching his fists. "_Other me, I'm going to go check on him alright?_"

The boy nodded, and in a few moments his partner had vanished through the floor to leave him alone with Tenma. To business then, he decided. "...Tenma... Why are you here?" he asked, body stiff with unease.

For a moment Tenma was silent, his eyes glazed over in apparent thought from his seat. With Yugi's words however he turned, stare narrowed in a mix of emotions that left the real one unknown. "In our previous battle," the CEO began quietly, "My Devil's Avatar never did finish its move..." He fell completely silent for a moment, standing from the table before continuing. "Moreover, I was fighting with a mere skeleton of a deck... It wasn't at all complete," he admitted, the boy across from him trembling more and more with rage. "But you know," Tenma went on almost crazily, "I'm ready now... So how about a re-match!" he shouted, grin widening as he chuckled. "With a new deck, the strongest in existence! Defeat me and you'll see Mazaki Anzu again, understand?" the man offered. "Of course," he continued, ignoring the brief expression of shock and hope on the boy's face, "If you lose, I get something as well... Namely your three God Cards," he murmured darkly. The...

The god cards? What did he want with the-

"Do you accept?" Tenma asked, eyebrows raising in expectancy. Yugi found his scowl deepening with his words yet again. Accept...

On the one hand, he would see Anzu again. On the other, there was just something... Wrong about this. If there were seven others why fight him now? Why challenge him? It was so obviously a set up, and yet the possibility of what happened in the end-

"...Fine," he spat, clicking his dueldisk into place yet again. For Anzu. For her sake! "Lets duel!"

Tenma nodded curtly in response, dark and superior smirk still playing over his face as he turned to the side. "Very well," he answered, moving to the side and pushing past a large door at the far end. "Follow me- we'll be dueling in one of this building's many presentation halls," he explained, walking through the doorway and into a dark auditorium-like room. "On the stage..."

And what a stage it was he noted from the entrance, almost wondering for a moment how many it could even seat. The reminder that this was one of many was almost ringing in his ears as he followed Tenma down the steps from the seats, eventually hopping onto the stage proper to take his position.

From the side a third man appeared, carrying with him a duel disk. As he handed it to Tenma, it took a moment to recognize him. In the end however he made himself all too obvious, even without the large gauze bandage he'd seen him with almost a year before.

"The duel will now commence," Crocketts announced, voice sounding almost morose and forced as he moved to the side. "Are the competitors ready?"

Sparing only a minute glance at the old man he nodded, Tenma doing the same from the opposite end of the stage. "I am," Yugi responded, turning his gaze back to his opponent. "Now... Lets go!"

"DUEL!"

"I go first!" Yugi announced just as quickly as the call to battle, cards pulled into each of their hands with blurring speed. "I set one card face down," he began, hologram shimmering into sight. The card hovered at knee's height before him, and soon enough another card joined it. "Following that the Queen's Knight in defense mode!"

As the stationary red warrior hovered in place his opponent chuckled, shaking his head. "Hnhnhnhnhn... The three God-summoning knights," he whispered, narrowing his eyes in mirth. "An old strategy Yugi. You should try something else for once," he continued, expression widening yet again. "I'll show you the results of a new strategy! Watch- I summon the Summoner Monk in defense mode!" Tenma cried, the long haired and long robed man misting into existence above the ground. "And while I can't use it as a sacrifice," he went on, "I can special summon one level four or lower monster from my deck each turn thanks to his ability! Watch... I summon the Seraphim Saber in attack mode!" he shouted, light searing from his side as a blade wielding angel crackled from the projection. "Moreover," Tenma went on, "By his effect, all Angels I have on the field increase either their attack or defense by 200 points... Including himself! I'll leave you with that and set another face down card," he sneered, waving his hand somewhat as the hologram shifted into place on his already filling field. "I end my turn..."

"Right," he responded, drawing his next card. "Here goes..." A new strategy indeed. This was nothing like Tenma had played before Yugi noted, narrowing his eyes. In the place of demons and fiends he had angels and priests... Nonetheless. At the moment Tenma had two monsters on the field- and regardless of what he did through normal methods, there would be one remaining. With that in mind... "I'll set one more face down card," he decided, before setting yet another card on the disk. "Next, I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in attack mode!" In milliseconds the monster shouted his response, blinding light forming its being as the magnet fisted being. "So... Beta," he ordered, the golden robot nodding in response. "ATTACK THE MONK!"

"_HNNNNN..._" Beta charged the monk before him, curved fist pulled back and ready for a strike. Despite the lack of a mouth the battle cry was just as clear as the words from his monster's mouths before, and it was for that reason that he found himself just as surprised as it was when he heard its shocked grunt. "_-NH!_" The monster stiffened and stumbled as it flew through the hovering Priest, landing at Tenma's feet with a robotic _'oof_'. "_W-WHAT- WHAT..._" He was beginning to feel like Jonouchi he thought idly, watching as the monster turned to shake itself and look back to his opponent before shrugging. "_OH WELL. MAGNET PUNCH,_" it decided, smacking an ignorant Tenma across the stomach as Yugi stared. "_THAT-WENT-WELL..._" Yes, of course it did but...

"How..." Other than the obvious 'since when did _all_ the monsters speak', how had the Monk...

His eyes widened as they fell on the card far across from him, before narrowing in distaste. "I activated 'Shield of Afterimage'," Tenma explained, chuckling even as he stumbled under the attack he'd taken with direct force. "Allowing me to re-direct your attack to me instead of my monster." Well that was all great... But why protect-

He paled, grinding his teeth as Beta returned to his side of the field. Quick summon deck. The monk was the 'summoning' monster in a deck with a purpose similar to his, a deck meant to amass tributes for a God, so of course he'd protect that one! "Tch... End turn," he grit out, watching as his opponent chuckled. "Your move, Tenma!"

"Hnhnhnhn... So it is!" Tenma laughed, drawing his next card as yet another hologram appeared to the field. "And I'll set yet another face down card before making my move! First," he announced, light again searing from the projected holograms, "I activate the Summoner Monk's effect- From my deck I pull out the Seraphim Guarder in defense mode!" Tenma cried, an angelic mass of metal appearing in a hunched position before the winged swordsman behind it. "Next," their summoner continued, "For my normal summon, this! The Seraphim Gunner!"

Again light appeared from the ground, and again a winged warrior came to the field. With a flowing cloak around its form two white shotguns could be seen in its hand, and with pre-programmed disdain it looked over the field.

"Each of their effects are the same," Tenma explained with a laugh. "For each angel the monsters gain 200 attack or defense, and multiplied by 3 that means each monster gains six hundred points depending on their position! So... Prepare yourself!" he cackled, pointing the overpowered monsters forward. "Slaughter him... KILL HIM!" he roared, the monsters charging forward with blank faces. "Seraphim Saber attacks first... GET THE MAGNET WARRIOR!" Hn!

Not so fast! "Counter!" Yugi announced, Beta bracing itself as the angels soared forward to strike. "Spellbinding circle! Locking position and decreasing power by seven hundred points!" A monster that was now still powerful than Beta, but at least unable to attack, leaving him unharmed. However...

"NEXT!" Tenma howled, grin widening even more as his defensive monster stood in blank stasis, "Seraphim Gunner... Kill the Queen's Knight! ANGEL SHOT!" Gunfire sounded through the air and he winced, turning away as the hologram exploded in a shower of light beneath the holy bullets. It was hardly violent- just shattering pixels, yet all the same, the fact that the difference between attack and defense gave a voice to those pixels...

It was chilling, to say the least. "Gh..."

"Only one left," Tenma warned, chuckling darkly. "Another 'God Summoning' combo down the drain... A God that will soon be mine," he hissed, the grin widening beyond its already impossible width. His? He would die first!

"Tch... You underestimate me," he countered, tapping his duel disk with narrowed eyes. "I've only just begun... I activate the spell Soul Rope," Yugi announced, the card flipping upward to reveal its effect. "By tributing 1000 lifepoints I special summon a monster in the Queen's Knight's place... Alpha the Magnet Warrior!" he shouted, the golden robot quickly shimmering in front of him to stand at Beta's side. "And... Now that it's my turn," he went on, narrowing his eyes, "I summon the third of the group.. GAMMA!"

As Alpha's shadowed helmet took to the field the monster was quickly joined by his winged counter part, the monsters looking toward each other with nods. _"IT'S-TIME..._"

"_ONE-TWO..._"

"_GO..!_"

"Alpha, Beta, Gamma," Yugi called, the monsters before him breaking apart into pieces before his eyes. "Combine! De-construct and reform- By sending the three magnet warriors to the grave," he thundered, pieces clacking and screwing together before his eyes, "I bring about Valkyrion the Magna warrior!" With a blast of light and metal the enormous beast took to the skies, earthen blade gripped tightly in its hands. "While he is only 'one' monster," the boy growled darkly, "He has far more power than you... Go Valkyrion!" he ordered, the monster already charging forward with his sword. "Kill the Monk-Priest..!

"_MAGNA MELEE!_"

-_BROOOOUM..._!

Lightning seared from the sword to strike the priest down, the hologram in front of them easily dispatched. Regardless of the attack however, Tenma's expression remained unchanged. He faced Yugi with a calm and steady smirk, the three angels hovering at his side in just the position he needed them to be. It was a formation that Yugi was all too familiar with.

A formation meant to summon a God. "I'll play one more trap," he said quietly, before moving his hand back from the field. "...End turn."

Avatar would copy Valkyrion in power and appearance he reminded himself, looking to the monster at his side for a moment. He would have only one point more in power... But surely he told himself, that wouldn't cover the additional power from an equip spell. Surely there was at least that chance, that one hope...

"Back to me," Tenma was saying, the next card coming into his hand. "Draw..." All at once a shudder ran down his spine, breathing caught in his throat the moment the card was pulled. What would happen he found himself wondering, despite all the confidence he'd held moments before. What would happen if he was wrong? If the Avatar struck Valkyrion down and destroyed him? What would happen...

If... If he...

"Hnhnhn... Hnhnh_hahahahah_... Do you feel it?" Tenma hissed, sweat already running down the side of Yugi's face. "This foreboding, never ending terror? The presence of a 'Wicked God'? Do you feel it?" he repeated with a shout, his opponent even stepping back from the man before him as fear began to fill his every being. "WATCH... I'll show you now... I sacrifice the three angels to summon this!" he cried, each of his monsters blackening and crumbling before his eyes. "THE DEVIL'S WARRIOR... DREADROOT!"

Without warning a fist shot forth from the darkness, the angels that were sacrificed scarcely out of sight before darkened forms began to take the shape of the monster. "Activate equip spell 'Lighting Blade'!" he hurriedly shouted in panic, Valkyrion's sword charging with power as it stood to block the fist, "COUNTE-"

_-CRK-_ A thick crack appeared in the blade, and silence hung over the field. No...

Bone claws and knuckles forced the magnetic robot into the ground, pieces scattering against the stage as they faded into dust. In a single instant the remaining shadows took form. Forming ashen skin and yellowed bone armor, with a wicked face beneath a skull shaped helm...

So huge was the being that only half of him could remain upright in the room, and with cackling laughter it looked below at the boy before it. "_**SO,**_" it rumbled, wide grin across its face. "_**THIS is the one whom my brethren would be sealed by? THIS is the one who stands before me?**_" Yugi said nothing as his gaze met that of the demon's, soulless black eyes rendering him petrified in a fear he'd never even known. "_**TELL ME BOY,**_" the monster thundered, lowering himself to meet Yugi's eyes. "_**TELL ME... ...Are you AFRAID?**_" He didn't even have to answer that question for the monster to laugh in his face, shark-like and rotting teeth bared before him. He wasn't simply scared anymore.

He was utterly terrified.

* * *

It was amazing what time could do to people- mere moments before fear filled the tower it seemed as though that would be the last thing to reach the air. In fact as Katsuya looked over his wound and waited for Pete to finish going through the first aid kit, he was almost wondering what the point would be in feeling even somewhat worried about the current situation. True, it hadn't healed over after fixing itself from anything that could have been somewhat dangerous, but it didn't seem to be bleeding either.

"Alright," their friend stated, sorting through the white and red box before him. After all had been said and done about the dueling... 'Fun', Pete had taken things fairly well. If anything Honda was probably the one that took things worst- evidently the professor had a small fragment of Katsuya's ability himself.

Which certainly explained the were-wolf floating around him and helping with the box. "I found antiseptic wipes, gauze... Tape," he added as an after thought, the werewolf beside him having nudged it over with its nose. "Along with- Ah-!" Pete jumped as the items he was listing were snatched from his grip, Honda quickly tossing it to a still (reluctantly) seated Katsuya. "Catch!" he called out, his friend doing just that with a slight scowl.

"'Bout time," he grumbled, pulling his shirt up and opening one of the wipes. "Damn blood's dryin already, it's gonna be a hell t' clean th' uniform by th' end..."

The man at the side frowned, looking up at those words. "Why would you know about-" As Pete asked this he was quickly cut off, Honda's hand catching his attention first.

"If there's one thing you should know about us," he said almost flatly, "Outside the weird duel thing... It's this. '_Don't ask_'." He received a fairly unimpressed look in response, and the teen shrugged. "Just trust me on it," he muttered, "You're better off not knowing." A hiss came from the side at that, the others turning to watch as Katsuya tried to clean up the already closing wound on his side. "Jonouchi, are you seriously still flinchy around those things?"

"N-" Shut up! "You try an' sit through it, it stings like hell!" The blond scowled as the took the gauze and bandages, wrapping a square of cotton to the wound before pulling his shirt back on. Not like he could feel a drying bloodstain through the bandage... Stiff as hell though, man. "'Sides," he muttered, pulling himself back to his feet. "It doesn' matter. We gotta get somewhere righ'?"

At these words Honda looked over to Pete, the man giving a somewhat dismissive shrug as he pulled out the card. "Here," he said, tossing it to Honda as the teen nodded, "The door is just outside that staircase," he told them with a gesture. "After that, you'll need to take the hall toward the 'greater' hall... You'll find the next person there."

"Next person?" Honda repeated, Katsuya putting his deck back in his pocket as he listened. "And that would be?"

The professor shrugged. "Not sure- I don't know who's there exactly," he admitted, "But I at least know that they should be in that area roughly." The others gave a short nod, moving toward the door to leave before he continued. "Hey... That cut of yours..."

"I'll be fine," Katsuya told him quickly. "'S nothin', don' worry abou'-"

"If you run into Mendo Cino, give up," Pete continued bluntly, not turning from where he stood. Katsuya froze from where he'd been about to open the door with Honda, both of them turning to look toward the man with a frown.

"What'd you say..?"

"I said don't fight Cino," Pete repeated, stepping down from the arena and toward the room they'd come in from before. "It's one thing with me- your monsters would have been resisting Highbrain's effect, right?" he asked, his back still facing the group. Um...

Yes? "What..." While Honda merely continued frowning confusedly, his friend found himself swallowing nervously at Pete's question. Not good...

He had a nasty feeling about what the warning was for. Nonetheless he answered him, putting the unease out of mind. "Y-Yeah," Katsuya found himself saying, shaking himself. "Yeah, but..."

"Cino won't hesitate when he's attacking," he went on, turning with narrowed eyes. "That's what affects how much damage you actually take from what I can tell. And while he'll regret it afterwards, during a battle all that matters is the power behind the attack. And his monsters won't stop for anything, regardless of what he feels."

"His monsters?" Honda repeated almost incredulously, "What do you mean his monsters? I thought you were the one to-"

Chuckling came from the man as he turned, a mischievous smile on his face. "Don't assume the world only has one 'oddity'- if you're going to spend your time in the company of duelists, you should get used to people like me! I can't speak for Cino, but he certainly has a connection with his deck. At the same time though," he went on, swallowing, "I won't lie- this is the first time I've seen anything at all like this. The closest was when I was dueling Tilla- and even then..." Well...

Tilla was...

Pete shook his head, sighing. "Listen- don't just disregard what I'm saying alright? Cino's monsters are meant to kill and cut- it's one thing against Tilla, or myself, but if your monster's sword did that?" he warned, gesturing to the red stain on Katsuya's side, "Then his mantis could well take your head off. Understand?" His...

His head? While the blond swallowed uneasily Honda merely growled, taking his friend's shoulder and heading out through the next door with stiff steps.

"We already knew that," he said almost bitterly, as though wishing this all to simply vanish in a dream. "Worst comes to it I'll pull him out of the duel myself!" Er...

Yeah... Um. "AH- Wha-"

"Good luck then!" Pete shouted flatly, another nod coming from his friend as they stepped through the door.

_'You'll need it._'

Though the last part had come through a 'flash' and was blocked by the sound of the door slamming shut, Katsuya couldn't help but think that it was something even Honda would have imagined the teen saying. It was one of those incredibly obvious things that you just didn't leave without saying, but even then-

"'Not since Tilla'... That was the creepy chick downstairs wasn't she?" Honda muttered, the two slowly walking down the hall toward their next destination. "The one with the vampire?" He nodded, trying not to think of the vampire itself.

"Yeah... It was..." '_Say that when you meet Coppermine_', the Vampire had said. So obviously he'd referred to someone else talking to monsters but... To run into someone that quick? Someone who actually had a clue how it worked? ...Nnnngggggg... "...Shit our lives are fucked," the blond moaned, head smacking against his friend's shoulder. "Augh..."

"Tell me about it," Honda groaned. "What's with this world, everything was simple until High School!"

"Beatin' th' crap outta of people..."

"People trying to beat the crap outta us for beating people..."

"Beatin' th' crap outta people trying t' beat th' crap out 'f us f'r beatin' people..."

The two both paused, looking to each other for a moment. "...Now that I think about it," Honda muttered almost dryly, turning to cough to the side. "It sounds like we're safer now than we were then..." What...

Seriously? "Awww... Tha' ain' what y' think," Katsuya snorted, coming toward the staircase as he grinned. "No way it w's tha' dangerous!"

"...Actually... Yeah," he responded flatly. "Yeah it was."

The blond stared back for a moment, a false pout in place. "...Traitor."

"No offense, but your 'ability' is at least somewhat as helpful as it is a pain in the ass for me," Honda grumbled, patting his friend on the back as he sighed.

"Yeah yeah... Tell me tha' after th' next-" Abruptly he stumbled, hand flying to the railing at the side for support. "GH..." A wave passed over him, knocking the wind out of him and sending wracking pain through his skull. "Ngh..."

"J- Jonouchi?" Honda sputtered, almost stepping back out of fear. "Oi... J-Jonouchi..!"

"Ngh..." Oh god his head... "GN_GH_..." Oh god oh god HIS _HEAD_..!

"JONOUCHI!" Honda shouted, watching as the blond collapsed against the rail in a shuddering fit. His eyes were wide and unseeing, his body stiff, cold, pale... "JONOUCHI... Damn it Jonouchi, what the hell..!"

"Nghh... Nhh..." He couldn't speak... He couldn't...

Feel... Anything!

(Oh god damn it his head..!)

"Jonouchi..." Gh... "Jonouchi DAMN IT talk to me!" Ngh...

The last thing he saw was Honda's screaming face through the haze of pain, and then...

Sand...

* * *

It was as though he was standing in Obelisk's presence again. The monster's bone helm even resembled the head-piece of the God in some twisted way, the open jaw beneath its chin forming a crude likeness of the pharaonic headress so iconic to the Kings of Egyptian times. And as he stood before the God's presence he could barely listen as Tenma, with almost glazed eyes, explained its power.

'_According to the card_,' he was shouting, '_FEAR dominates the field... It halves the attack of all monsters... Easily forging the difference in power!_' Tenma had set a trap card Yugi noted, sweat still dripping on the side of his face. His eyes while glazed, were wide with madness, and his entire being seemed to quake and seep with dark power.

"Tell me Yugi!" he shouted, snarls mirrored by the God above. "TELL ME! Are you trembling with fear yet? Are you ready to taste your DEFEAT!"

Not yet, he wanted to shout in response, taking dark and heaving breaths. Tenma's coat was no longer wrapped around his shoulders as it had been on the rooftop, merely buttoned tightly shut and blending with the darkness around him easily. Not yet...

He couldn't lose... Not yet! This wasn't just a monster, he reminded himself. This was a God. But he as well had Gods in his deck, Gods which would match these ones with ease... He had to remember that, the boy told himself. He had to rely on this next draw- lest the demon before him strike him down. He had to have faith in the 'Gods' he had in his hands, lest the one before him crush him completely.

"...It's my turn!" he managed to shout, swallowing back his fear. "I draw..." And the card in his hands...

Thank the Gods for this card he now had in his hands he told himself, breathing a sigh of relief. "Might I suggest something?" Tenma chuckled from across him, eyes briefly gaining clarity as he spoke. His opponent glanced up, frowning, and Tenma continued. "'Defense' would be best... Until you at least run out of cards..." Tch...

Bastard... Deciding to do nothing more than level a glare toward the man he made his move, setting his card on the disk. "I activate this magic card!" he announced, the hologram revealing itself clearly. "Card of Sanctity! We'll each draw until we have six cards in hand!"

"Six cards?" Tenma repeated, voice almost bearing an undertone of relief. He'd likely imagined it, he told himself. This was after all, the one who started all this. Not to mention the one with Dreadroot. Nonetheless... "It looks as though you live for another few turns..." He would live for much more than that he assured himself.

But just what was Tenma's game? The cards were pulled into his hand, eyes not turning to them until the very last one was there. Already he could feel the power of God within his hand, sitting alongside the spirits of his deck-

But what was Tenma doing? These flashes of expression that were cropping up now that Dreadroot had appeared, these almost pained faces... It was almost as though he was hesitating, and yet his actions showed just the opposite!

...And why was he even concerning himself with this! "I set two cards face down!" Yugi roared, the holograms appearing in an instant. Somehow they felt less 'real' now. More like the fragmented light it was 'meant' to be than ever before. It wasn't as though he could tell from them at this moment however, and so he paid it no mind. "...I discard one card to special summon 'The Tricky' in defense mode," he instead announced, watching as the flickering jester's form appeared to his field.

"The Tricky?" his opponent repeated, cutting the boy's words short. "Why don't you quit now?" he sneered, an almost 'pleading' expression flashing through the look of distaste. "You should realize now that nothing in your deck can kill the Devil's Dreadroot... So why fight?" Why?

"Because there is still at least one card in this deck that can," he responded clearly, despite the obvious fear he still felt. "And so long as that card exists," he went on, "I will fight. Now! I activate the Monster Reborn!" Yugi roared, the card flipping up from the field as a card was sent out from his disk. "Summoning the card I discarded moments ago... I CALL UPON HIS NAME FOR AID!" he snarled in another language, the rest of the 'ritual' shortened for speed, "THE GREAT SUN GOD RA! And as a GOD, his power won't change," the boy spat, watching as flames tore forth from his graveyard. "IN FACT-"

Though the flames of a golden phoenix had already taken form, shadows seemed to have erupted from the opposite side of the field. Nearly the entire stage was covered in it. The other half was filled with fire, and despite its attempts it seemed that even Ra was struggling to take form.

"**GH- DARKNESS... **" Yugi paled as the Dragon's pained cry met the air, the flaming gold beast abruptly smoking into dust from what little had been able to take shape within the room. "**Forgive me,**" the God rasped as it vanished, "**I CANNOT aid you, LITTLE KING... Nghh..!**" That...

The final dredges of flames sank back to the grave, his eyes following it for a moment before turning to the retreating shadows. How was that... "Tenma... What-"

"I activated my trap," he sneered, narrowing his eyes. His opponent turned back to look at the card that had swung upward mere moments before, paling even further as he read the effect. "Selection of Arc," Tenma roared, the hologram slowly fading from sight. "Killing any monsters summoned that are the same as my own!" The same- "And that means your gods," Tenma chuckled, "As 'Divine' beings such as my own, are now useless..." Completely useless...

But without the gods, defeating the Dreadroot could be-! Could...

"You..." This strategy... "This was your plan from the start wasn't it?" he realized coldly, his opponent's sinister grin widening considerably. "To render all of the gods useless in this fight..." There was even clapping at the side, however forced it seemed coming from the man who was doing so. But while clapping and laughter filled the air he had to narrow his eyes. There had to be a way, some way...

Dreadroot's attack power was set, it wouldn't change. Even with the effect, there was still that. So to get around that...

To defeat a 'God' in the same way he'd had to face the others... "Yugi," Tenma laughed, taking his turn with a smile. "I have to thank you for playing Card of Sanctity..." Thank him? As the boy looked up his confused scowl deepened, the expression his opponent held growing still larger as he spoke. "It allows me to play this! Watch... I activate EVOLUTION OF GOD!" he laughed, the Dreadroot's entire being quaking with power.

Shadows melted from the hologram and with a feral roar the Demon-God began to change. His legs melted into blackened and boned scales, lengthening into that of a serpent's body lined in ragged spikes. His claws grew even larger over his hands, and as power radiated from the demon's form Yugi again found himself stepping back, the God's cruel wings surrounding the field completely. It was only 1000 attack points more, he tried to assure himself. Only that. And yet...

At that moment Tenma was announcing the card's continual status... For even Gods, setting one seemingly useless trap as his opponent became crushed with fear. He couldn't...

He couldn't be defeated like this he almost wept from his mind, watching as the 'Tricky's hologram stood motionlessly beneath Dreadroot's massive fist. There was nothing. Nothing...

Nothing but this he reminded himself, shaking hands clicking the button just in time for the monster defending him to fade out of sight. "W... What?" Tenma muttered, the light again appearing in his eyes. "You avoided attack... Your monster vanished," he whispered in shock, "It-"

"I activated this card," he rasped, swallowing weakly. His body was still threatening to crumble under the pressure of the ever constant darkness, legs quivering and twitching considerably. He was barely standing even now... And he'd be surprised if he stood for much longer unless he did something. "Soul Cross," the boy explained, weakly closing his eyes. "It allows me to swap the monster on the field with one from the grave... And I picked the Queen's Knight," he continued, a motionless and defensive hologram now hovering beside him for protection. "It nullified your attack. I..."

It was a last minute trump. "Tsk tsk tsk... Yugi," Tenma chuckled, voice grating the boy's every nerve. "You've only prolonged your inevitable defeat by another turn! How can you hope to win!"

"How... How can I win?" the boy repeated, hand finally snapping to grip his leg as he threatened to fall to his knees. No matter how afraid he was. No matter what stood before him... "How can I _lose_?" he repeated louder, looking up with wide eyes. "If I lose to you I lose Anzu... And I wouldn't be able to face even my self let alone anyone I know... SO I REFUSE TO STOP HERE!" he roared straightening himself as he threw the wave of fear back. "It's my turn... AND I DRAW!" And the card in his hand now was... Heh. Just what he needed, once again. "I set one card!" he shouted, eyes trained on his opponent as the hologram shimmered into sight. "Following that, I summon the King's Knight! And when both knights are on the field," Yugi continued, words coming out as little more than a hoarse cry, "The Jack's Knight can join them!"

"The three knights..." Tenma chuckled, shaking his head in incredulity. "Trying to summon a GOD are we?" Tch...

As if he would. Chances were Tenma had some sort of card to bring back the 'Arc'. Something to stop God in its tracks once again.

He wasn't about to take that chance. "Hn. The burden of God is a little too much at this point," he decided, a smirk coming over his face as Dreadroot itself narrowed its eyes. "Instead, I'm activating this! Polymerization!" Light seared from the ground, surrounding the monsters completely. His opponent's eyes were widening with confusion and shock both, and as the pixels scattered through the air he continued. "And with this I fuse all three of the knights, Tenma! Summoning the Heavenly Warrior... Arcana Knight Joker!" A warrior with the Jack's face...

Garbed in the robes and armor of all three knights, with a blade in one hand and a shield bearing from the bottom a similar weapon for the other hand. Had this been any other time he was sure he would be radiating power. With this however and with the darkness before them, it was a mere hologram.

"That... That may be so," Tenma countered, voice wavering under his own monster's pressure now, "But Dreadroot's effect halves your monster's attack!" he shouted, "Making it a pitiful defense against the Evil God! 5000 against 1900... You die, now!" Would he now?

They would just see about that. "I end my turn," he said flatly. "Fusion monsters can't attack the turn they're summoned."

"That... That's your only reason?" his opponent repeated, chuckling. "THAT'S your reasoning to 'stop'!" He shook his head, wide eyes filled with terror despite his words. "Leaving your fate to such a weak monster now... What chance do you have!"

"A chance you're obviously afraid of," he countered easily. "The fear emanating from this monster you have at your side... It is not my fear anymore," he spat. "It's yours, Tenma. So why are you afraid?"

The former gleam in Tenma's eyes vanished completely with that, the glazed appearance bringing them into a tight glare. "You can ask that after you lie on this floor in defeat!" he snarled, evidence of unease vanished yet again. "For now the Dreadroot attacks your Joker! AND WITH HIS FEAR YOU'LL NOT JUST BE ON THE GROUND... YOU'LL BE BURIED UNDER IT! GO!"

"_**DEVIL'S KNOCKDOWN!**_"

"Trap card activate!" he shouted in retaliation, the card swinging upward. "Curse of Illusion! Cutting your power by 500 and blocking your monster's effect! With that, the Arcana Knight's power is restored!" Yugi continued, the hologram seeming to shimmer to life itself as he braced himself for battle. Light seemed to appear in the Knight's eyes, and its feet now touched the ground beneath it. With both blades hanging at its side the monster turned his gaze directly toward the opposing demon...

And like his summoner behind him there was no fear in his eyes. "An incredible play," Tenma sneered in response, "But I still overpower you! SMASH HIM!" he ordered, the God doing just that as he threw his fist forward. "KILL THEM ALL!"

This time the fist did indeed land a blow, with the wind visibly parting to allow the knuckles to move forward even. Yet it did not work at all as Dreadroot had planned, and as the Joker's blade and shield were held strong against the Demon's fist it balked. "_**Impossible!**_" it spat, shaking its head and watching as the armor over its knuckles slowly cracked and spiderwebbed over the rest of its body. "_**IMPOSSIBLE!**_"

"What is this-!"

"I staked all I have in this monster," Yugi wheezed, narrowed eyes fixed on the demon god before him. "The power of 'FEAR' will not win against me!" Dreadroot himself seemed to pale with those words, and the boy moved on with his final play. "I activate another spell!" he roared. "Armament Regeneration! I can now equip the Joker with a spell from my graveyard... And I choose the Lightning Sword!" And as sparks flew across the transforming left blade that the Joker held, the fear in Dreadroot's expression increased considerably. "Your power is no match for me NOW!" Yugi hissed, staring the monster directly in its eyes. "Now Joker... CUT THROUGH THIS 'FEAR'! THUNDER AND LIGHTNING BLADE!" they both cried, the blades swinging forth to break through the fist as 'God' gave a piercing scream.

The streams of light seared forth from the swords and streaked around the beast, coiling like snakes and tightening on themselves until it was cut to pieces. Rendered nothing but shadows on melted ground they slowly attempted to reach back into the deck from whence they came... Only for the remnants of the electricity to slowly carve a shield from it.

"GGGNNNAAAAAA_GGGHHH! GGHHAAAA!_" His opponent screamed from across him- his arm were held in front of his face and by the force of the attack he was thrown to the stage floor, knocked off his feet by over a full meter.

And still, his cries met the air.

"GGGh... NGH... Ghha... Hhhaa_aahh_..."

And suddenly they stopped.

And as Tenma fell to the ground he pointed the rejuvenated Joker forward for one final strike. "Now, Joker," he ordered, snapping his fingers as the knight charged toward their fallen opponent. "DIRECT ATTACK-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" The pair both froze, watching in shock as Crocketts ran to the field to pull his employer from harm's way. Joker's blade sank into the stage floor before fading from sight, and just seconds later the monster himself followed in a trail of pixels and sparks. The duel was over... But why interfere?

"What... Why did you-?"

"That is enough," Crocketts repeated, swallowing in unease. "You've already won... To go to a further extent... It would be too far," he whispered weakly. "His will to fight is gone," the suit begged, attempting to help the shaking man before him to at least his knees as Tenma groped around for a card amid the pile on the ground. "Victory is yours, Mutou-san. But I beg of you to not go through with your attack." Not go through?

But the duel field had already cleared! And why would he-

"My my..." What... "I must congratulate you Mutou Yugi. The Evil God has been, as I expected, defeated... Impressive." A voice?

Yugi turned, eyes widening as a video feed opened on the screen along the auditorium's wall. Identical in every way to the one before him now, the face of Yakou Tenma looked upon him from the screen. And just as before the smug smirk remained on his face, eyes narrowed in superior mirth. "This... Is it recorded?" he muttered to himself aloud, the man on the screen chuckling in response. There was no other way...

No way for him to be in two places at once, and yet-

"Regretfully, this is a recorded image," Tenma admitted, shaking his head with a laugh. "I am where I always have been; at the top of this skyscraper, waiting in one of the many rooms monitoring your actions. But don't feel so confused," he laughed, eyes widening viciously. "The man before you is still real! We both exist..." That...

How was that possible, unless... "Both of you..." ...A disguise maybe? There was no way they could be related, no one could possibly do that to their own bro-

"It's amazing what power can be harnessed through the 'Evil Gods," Tenma sneered, narrowing his eyes and cutting Yugi's thoughts short. "With my will alone his actions were mine to control, right down to the minute! True, he put up quite the fight... But in the end," he chuckled, ignorant to the fumbled attempts to destroy the card at the side, "I owe the success of RA's second phase to my dear older brother... Tenma, Gekkou..." T-Tenma...

His own... Brother...

With a ripping sound Yugi's attention was torn from the screen, the sight of fallen shards of a card joined by a large gasp of relief. From what remained of the paper the boy could make out the bare shape of the monster he'd only recently defeated. Coughing, the man before him slowly stood, weak eyes looking toward the screen in betrayal and despair both. "Y... Yakou..."

"Oh...?" The one on the screen raised an eyebrow, smile dimming. "So you've broken my spell? And my card too," he continued with narrowed eyes, "How upsetting! No matter then," he chuckled. "It isn't as though that's the only one in existence..." It wasn't? While Yugi's frown deepened Yakou's laugh grew louder, hair hanging over one of his eyes completely. "Thanks so much for your trouble 'Nii-san'... I really couldn't have done it without you!"

Gekkou's energy seemed to return to him immediately at that, eyes widening in horror. "You... This kind of project... Yakou STOP THIS NOW!"

But the man was ignored, his brother merely stepping to the side with a widening grin. "Hnhnhn... As promised Yugi," he laughed, "You get to see your beloved Anzu! I can't say she'll answer though," he howled, a tall metal device or sorts visible from behind him. "She's not quite... 'There' at the moment!" Th-

"WHAT?" What did he mean by-

His face fell the moment the camera zoomed in, his friend's open eyed, 'dead' expression clear on the screen even with the glass visor covering her face. Worse than Bakura, worse than Malik's Millennium Rod...

It was as though she'd been killed mere moments before, her soul more than simply 'removed' from the body. "Anzu... ANZU!" he cried, shaking his head. Dead eyes, staring off at nothing, no light visible at all... "No..."

"Hnhnhnn... Perhaps she was 'Mazaki Anzu' once upon a time," Yakou sighed, "But the power within the cards you hold... Along with the power of the Evil Gods," he added darkly, "It allowed me to stop that in its tracks. You've seen this before right?" he chuckled, placing a 'gentle' hand on the woman's head. "The removal of a person's soul... All thanks to you," he hissed. "All of it..." That...

That monster... That... "Get-your-filthy-hands OFF OF HER!" he roared, stepping toward the screen only to stop cold. Those dead eyes staring toward him... "Anzu..." Why... "ANZU, LISTEN TO ME ... Wake up, PLEASE!" he cried, torn between his rage and his despair both. "Wake up... Wake..."

"Too late..." Shut up... "She's long gone," Tenma sneered. Shut up! "And now that her body is empty, I'll be using it as the vessel for the one I've wanted to bring back for almost a year now..." Bastard... "My teacher..." Sick... "My 'father'..." Fucking... BASTARD! "Pegasus Crawford..."

...What...

"This project is called 'R.A.'!" Yakou laughed, eyes again twisting and shifting in his face with madness. "'REBIRTH of AVATAR! I'll summon him back to life once more, and there's nothing you can do about it! AND I'D LIKE TO SEE ALL OF YOU TRY TO STOP ME! So... Good bye!" the man cackled, image crackling out from existence as the screen went black. "AND THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR HELP!" No...

No, no, no! He couldn't, he...

He... He... "Anzu," Yugi whispered, a tear dropping from the corner of his eye. "No... I..." Her captor was moving forward with his plans and it was even his fault...

"Yugi... I beg of you to forgive me," 'Gekkou' rasped, hesitantly stepping toward the motionless boy. "Just like Pegasus before us, he wants more than anything to see the one he cares about alive again... And I too... I shared that desire as well," he wept, chocking as the boy's hands flung to his coat to pull him forward.

"Did you now?" he hissed, breathing hitched as he looked the man in the eye. This man... Manipulated or not he'd caused this as well, this man-! "Is this what you wanted! More than ANYTHING?"

"... Not at this cost," Gekkou whispered, the boy's grip slackening with his words. "Not for this sacrifice. I don't know how he came up with this plan... Nor how he amassed the ability to go through with it. All I can remember is attempting to snap him out of this crazed trance he's suddenly become caught in only to succumb to the mercy of his 'Gods'. Can you believe it?" he cried, turning away in shame. "A 'card'! All that power in a card... I..." Yugi released the man's coat, stepping back with a bowed head as Gekkou continued. "...That duel..." He swallowed, still turned away. "All I could do was wish for it to stop, to end before it was too late... The entire point of that battle was to generate the power from the monster," Gekkou explained, "To generate the fear and quicken the divide between Mazaki-san's body and soul... But I couldn't stop it," he wept. "And in the end, I watched my brother commit a terrible act... Gods such as these should have no name," Gekkou whispered. "Pegasus himself told us this. He found their carvings on an old ruin near Egypt's capital," he went on, "Not far from the carvings of the Gods, and he drew them from that. And when he finally realized what he'd done he sealed them away, never speaking the name again. It's inexcusable," he continued, shaking his head. "To go against those words. And in the end... Those who were never meant to be involved have been pulled into my Teacher's mistakes. Anzu Mazaki's very heart and soul rest with those of the cards now, if you believe such a thing," he told the boy. "...And... If you believe such a thing," he offered quietly, "Perhaps, there is a better way to see her before we move forward."

A better way? "What do you mean... 'If you believe such things'?" he asked. "I'd hardly expect someone like you to say that," he continued with narrowed eyes. "Someone carelessly creating cards like these..."

Gekkou said nothing in response to that, merely bowing his head as he took the blame. However, it was shortly after that he gestured to the boy's disk, he looking up as he did so. "...The card that Deschutes gave you... Set it on the disk," he told him firmly, Yugi's eyes widening in response.

"Set... Set it on-"

"Trust me," Gekkou pressed. "Try it."

Anzu's card... Yugi slowly pulled it from his pocket, gaze dimming as he looked over the cover. It seemed almost... Heavier now, he thought to himself. Thicker. As though a weight had been sent into it. And as he cleared his disk of other cards, clicking the disk itself back into place he wondered what would be worse- if she didn't appear, still proving that she was tied to her body somehow and quite likely about to die...

Or if she did and everything that was happening now, everything that was more unbelievable than anything that had come with Battle City, was real... And not some twisted nightmare he had yet to wake himself from.

"...Anzu," he whispered again, setting the card on the field. "I... I..."

"_Aaaaa... hah...._" When he looked up the dust from the ground was rising into the air. It was misting around the floor before him and slowly forming the relative shape of his- of his lighter half's- childhood friend. Hair grew and clothing took shape, forming not the uniform she'd worn at the school but instead a simple pair of shorts and a tank top. Cheap flip flop sandals covered her feet, and in addition a few bruises from whatever had handled her body in reality developed...

And with a shuddering breath she opened her eyes, looking forward in shock.

"_Y.. Yugi?_" she whispered, blinking a few times as the last bits of dust took their place. "_Yugi... Is that..?_" It was impossible.

Even with all he believed in his deck, with all that Jonouchi told him about the 'monsters in the 'other realm' as they themselves called it, it shouldn't have been possible. And yet as he reached forward, the woman's face twisting as all the fear and confusion of the day struck her there, she herself running forward as well- "Gh-"

"_Nh-_" A mouthful of dust was his answer to the attempt, and as his eyes widened in horror he could see Gekkou grimacing and turning away.

The two friends turned back, staring for a moment in horrified silence. And then as she always had, she'd put a smile on her face. As though nothing had happened, as though everything was just fine...

"_It looks like you're stuck getting me out of trouble again, huh?_" Anzu joked, brushing some hair from her eyes. "_I can't help but wonder when it'll be reversed, hahahaha!_" This...

To hold such strength even now... "...Anzu..."

"She's a hologram right now," Gekkou said almost needlessly, Crocketts watching in silence from behind. "You won't be able to touch her. I'm... I'm sorry," he added quietly. "...We're lucky she can speak as it is..."

"_Lucky?_" Anzu repeated, her smile fading. Yes. 'Lucky', he thought bitterly, biting his tongue. A few more moments of silence passed and his head hung downward, fists clenched with determination.

"...I swear to you Anzu," he wept, shaking on the spot as his head remained bowed before his friend. "Above all... No matter what happens I will bring you back! Even if it costs me my soul, I-"

Anzu's voice cut him off, the boy looking up to see her smile again. "_Really,_" she laughed, shaking her head. "_Yugi... Stop feeling so depressed,_" she chuckled. A brave thumbs up came from the woman, and she brought her hand down toward her friend's shoulder for comfort. "_Honestly, you're a boy,_" she snorted, "_Boys are supposed to be..._" Her hand passed right through him. "_Strong..._" Anzu pulled her hand back in shock, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked away. "_I... ...Yugi..._" It wasn't fair.

"You're so close," he whispered, his own tears already falling to the ground. It wasn't fair at all. "So close," he repeated through shuddering breaths, "But even then... Being unable to even touch your hand..."

"_Lonely,_" she murmured. "_...It's so lonely... ...Isn't it?_"


	5. Chereb

The stories the dragon tells are almost frightening sometimes. Enough that the most thrilling tales leave him with nightmares in fact. But they have an addictive appeal to them- So while the elders scream and shout at him for not listening to their teachings, and for postponing the sacred ritual of a shadow's reveal, the boy travels through the desert as often as he can, finding any excuse to do so.

Recently the elder's grandson 'Neker' was found to be sensitive of sight. He spotted his grandmother's shadow as it helped about the house, despite it being hidden to normal eyes. The elderly woman was elated at this discovery...

So she immediately brought him forth as a possible apprentice. And although Neker is not considered ready to reveal his shadow in the elder's eyes, he bears more promise than himself. For Neker listens to the words of the elders, and the boy... He does not.

So while the elders dote on Neker, he slips out past the trading tomb raiders refused sale in other lands, and past the thieves freely buying and trading their goods in the market, and he runs into the vast sands beyond.

It is there that he finds the 'hole'. The entrance to the cavern below. It is a difficult to locate spot after all, save for those who don't know. Perhaps the reason why it is so hard to find is because it is a simple entry. Or because it is mostly buried in sand. It could be both- And the dragon tells him that it is too dangerous to enter in this way when the boy tells him what it looks like. It could very well collapse around him, and he would never breathe again.

But the boy ignores those words. The only other entrance is within the halls of the elders, something he knows from the last time he tried to give them proof. The last time he tried to show them the 'Dragon'. But the elders are closed minded; though the dragon stood beside him, they saw nothing. Nothing but a mist that assured them he was ready to reveal his shadow.

An assurance that made them curse his name when he refused to do so. And so in a way the only proof he had wasn't proof at all... And had taken him backward.

So he uses the desert entrance, and he listens to the dragon's stories. He even falls asleep there occasionally- his mother scolds him when he returns, and his elder sister, already married, shakes her head from across him. And he apologizes for his actions, helps with the cleaning, and allows them to shout about how he should be more polite and considerate of his actions...

And he returns to the desert for another story, receiving a similar frown from the dragon in regard to not listening to his families words.

At least before the shadow sighs and pulls him closer to the wall to sit down. It has been like this for a while. To the point where it is so constant that he no longer hears what the people of his village say, nor sees their disappointed expressions as 'that good for nothing boy' runs out again. He is used to coming here to the one who listens.

This time however, as he enters the room and greets the dragon he is not answered with the usual 'purr' of greeting. Instead, the dragon's eyes are turned to the space behind him, a low growl developing in the back of his throat. And when the boy turns around, he says only one thing. "...N... Neker..?"

For a moment the second boy, his hair even wilder than his 'predecessor's' own, stares in shock. His eyes move from the boy to the dragon's head, and remain there for some time, as though in disbelief. And slowly, Neker's face breaks into an amazed grin, laughter coming from within him. "Haha... Ahahaha! I don't believe it!" he shouts, running forward only for the dragon to growl. Neker stumbles back somewhat, grin faltering- it quickly returns as he looks to the boy's shocked face however, his 'friend' grabbing his shoulders and shaking him with a shout. "You.. You sly little hyena," he laughs, "The elders were certain you were lying! How on earth could they have missed this thing!"

"_This 'thing' has a voice,_" the dragon growls immediately, Neker hurriedly bowing in apology.

"Of course," he says quickly, clearly unwilling to possibly find himself eaten or whatever else he imagines the dragon doing. "Forgive me... If I might ask your name?"

Again the dragon growls, though it is less bitter. "_Names grant power,_" he says wisely. "_With only a name an entire nation can become cursed- you may call me 'Dragon'... 'Tanniyn',_" he tells Neker, the boy nodding. "_...Though I have already heard of your own,_" he mutters calmly.

"Ah- You have?" he asks in surprise.

"_Yes._" The dragon nods. "_'Neker',_" he begins, "_The 'second prospect' of those elders you follow. I do not recall exactly when such a system began, but I must say... I far preferred the older style,_" he sighs, curling up on the ground and looking to the boys. "_Much simpler..._"

Neker looks to his friend as if to ask what the dragon is talking about- the boy however, merely shrugs; he himself has asked, but he has received no answer that would truly explain 'why', outside of a growing inability to 'see' and 'hear'. It is the first time that the boy has had someone else with him to talk to the dragon. For quite some time for that day, there are no stories- instead, they talk, about the village, about the ways of life that now exist. And the dragon speaks when he feels it is right, adding advice where it is needed, but for the most part it is the boys doing the speaking. It is the boys who complain of crotchety old elders and their stiff beliefs. It is the boys who complain of parents who keep them in late, and of annoying siblings both older and younger. It is nice the boy supposes, to talk to someone closer to his age about these things- though the dragon is kind he is also an 'adult', and bears the feeling of someone far surpassing him in power.

It is nice to speak with someone at 'his' level.

By the end of the day however there is nothing more to talk about in regard to such things. The boys are bored and tired, and they lean against the well tower that sits in the room. They sit there, almost lethargic, before the boy finally speaks.

"...Tanniyn?" he asks, the dragon lifting its head from the shadows.

"_Yes?_"

"...Can you tell us a story? ...Like the one you told me before?" The dragon sits up, great neck too long to stretch upward in the room and stooping down to their level even as it arcs in a perfect curve to graze the ceiling.

"_Of course,_" he tells the boys, wise voice rumbling through the room. "_Listen carefully... I will continue from whence I left off before. I will tell you of the battle between Ziz, the shape-changer and embodiment of fear,_" he whispers.

"_**And how Light itself became divided to defeat it.**_"

* * *

"_Jonouchi..._"

Katsuya grimaced in his 'sleep', shaking somewhat. He didn't know it- but this was in fact the most still he had been since he collapsed almost half an hour ago. Honda had been left to pull him off the stairs after he'd gone down, trying his best to keep him from cracking his skull on the ground- though his eyes were open they were unseeing, moving constantly with a film of 'death' over them both. His body had given constant shudders... It shook and trembled even as his friend tried to keep his head from smacking against something, and even as Yugi's spirit finally caught sight of them both.

But he hadn't been able to hear either of them. And Honda couldn't hear Yugi as he called frantically for him to wake up either. So all in all, when he finally started to come to...

"_Jonouchi!_" Katsuya heard, his body having slowly calmed down as the voices grew clearer. It was as though he was floating, this feeling. Floating in that familiar dark place in his mind, but even his eyes wouldn't open...

"_Jonouchi-kun..._" "Jonouchi..." "_Jonouchi-kun..._" Wake up, they called. Wake up, wake up, Wake...

...

The darkness was fading.

"Ngh..."

And his eyes were opening.

"_Ah- Jonouchi-kun!_"

"Jonouchi!"

Katsuya winced, slowly pulling himself up to sit as his senses slowly cleared. Those voices... He couldn't see who it was but... "Ngh... Wh' th' hell..."

"Shit... Finally," the first friend muttered, Katsuya blearily opening his eyes to look at the teen.

"Ngh... Honda..?"

"_Jonouchi-kun... Hahh... You had us worried..._" Eh? And Yugi?

The blond continued to blink somewhat confusedly, shaking his head. The blurs that were his friends were finally clearing, and as his vision cleared completely he found himself flinching and pulling back on reflex, Honda having raised a hand from the side in a punching motion with a scowl. The punch however never came, and instead his friend's hand slammed down on his shoulder, eyes filled with anger, worry, warning...

"I swear to god Jonouchi," he growled, Katsuya staring almost blankly in response. "If that happens again..."

"If... If wha' happens?" he muttered, voice somewhat hoarse as he cleared his throat. "What-"

Yugi swallowed from the side, shaking his head slowly. "_Jonouchi-kun,_" he whispered fearfully. "_It almost looked like you were having a seizure a moment ago. I know you space out a lot for these 'visions',_" he continued with a swallow, "_But if this happens every time..._"

He choked, turning to look at the spirit in shock. "W-Woah, woah, woah," he sputtered, all senses returned in an instant. "Hang on, seizures? What?"

Honda blinked, looking toward the blank space his friend had been shouting at before sighing. "Yugi's been here the entire time hasn't he?" he said almost hopelessly. They both nodded, though it was obviously only Katsuya's answer that was seen. Another sigh, along with a muttered 'figures'. "Man... Damn it Jonouchi," Honda muttered, pulling himself up with a scowl. "What the hell do we do about this, huh?" He paused, question echoing gravely in the hall. "If I can't stop it, and you can't stop it..."

"_Jonouchi-kun, these 'flashes' of yours are getting dangerous,_" Yugi added, looking away a moment before holding out a hand for his friend. Katsuya slowly took it, Honda watching blankly as his friend was pulled up by 'emptiness' while the spirit continued. "_Are... Are you sure that you can... Are you sure that you're..._"

"I'll be fine," he insisted, the others narrowing their eyes. "This w's probably a one time thing righ'? Cause 'f tha' rumblin' earlier," he added.

"Rumbling?"

"_You mean... When Gekkou-kun summoned Dreadroot?_" Uh... What.

"Gekkou?" he repeated, Honda looking just as confused. Hang on... "...Tenma's got an' older twin brother?" he asked incredulously.

Yugi nodded. "_From what I can hear from the other me, the Tenma that he fought wasn't the one who orchestrated all of this. In fact,_" he added worriedly, "_From what I can gather he wanted nothing to do with it; Yakou took control of his older brother's mind and made him fight the other me. And even though he won, I... ..._" He bowed his head, biting his lip. "_I can't really tell from just what he says over our link- he's holding back... He's only telling me the bare minimum, but... ...Something bad happened,_" he mumbled. "_Something... It's hard to explain._" Obviously. "_Tenma's project... From what I can tell,_" Yugi whispered hesitantly, "_It's entered the final phase. But that's all that he's saying. He has Anzu's hologram with him, so we can talk to her but..._" He sighed. "_He's not 'all there'... And I think he's in shock... I have to go up and help, but I- Nnn..._" Had a point, Katsuya thought to himself grimly.

He had a point, but if what he was hearing was right... Then what was happening now had a lot more to it than any of them could figure right now. "...Tha' energy fr'm earlier," he muttered, turning a narrowed stare to the ground. The thing that came before his headache...

"What energy," Honda asked, his own frown deepening. "Jonouchi, what the hell are you talking about?" The blond shook himself, looking back up. Right. He ah...

He hadn't said anything about that before. Whoops. "I dunno," he admitted with a shrug, swallowing. "I dunno, jus'... Somethin' doesn' feel right abou' these... Vision things," he said, briefly wondering exactly what he was supposed to call those 'vision' things. "Like back at th' school," he went on. "When Osiris w's summoned."

"_What happened when Osiris was-_"

"You mean how nothing happened then?" Honda asked dryly, unknowingly cutting Yugi short. "That was probably one of the better moments of your 'ability', so try again."

"_Wait, you didn't end up chanting?_" Yugi was momentarily ignored yet again as Katsuya nodded, frowning.

"Try weirder," he muttered. "I jus' got used t' spittin' out dead languages every time those cards were summoned- it ain' righ' to have it suddenly stop. An' tha' ain' th' point," he continued, shaking his head. He'd explain feeling sick as hell later. "It's more what Osiris said."

"What Osiris-" His friend groaned, face in his hands. "And you say this not happening is weird... I'll bite Jonouchi," he sighed. "What did the _giant God-Dragon_ say?" He said that so confidently, ahahahahahaaaa.. Ahhhh...

Yeah, what did he say exactly again? "Somethin' abou' th' 'Evil Gods' not bein' s'pposed t' exist," he offered with a shrug. "Honestly, it makes sense givin' tha' it felt like th' thing was suckin' th' life outta me."

"Okay, you failed to mention that part!" Whoops. Well he was saying it now. Of course...

"Wouldn't you?" he asked 'helpfully', Yugi smacking his face in his hands behind him. "Ahhh, whatever... Tha' ain' th' point," he said for the second time. "Way I figure, these 'Evil Gods' have somethin' t' do with th' scary parts 'f this ability- so it'll all be over soon."

"And you figure that how?" Honda asked flatly. There was a short pause, Katsuya turning to what Honda would perceive as 'empty space'.

Time to test a theory. "Yugi," he asked. "Y' said tha' th' rumblin' happened when this 'Dreadroot' thing was summoned... Righ'?"

The boy nodded, Honda still frowning. "I'm going to assume that was a yes," he stated when Katsuya's expression failed to change, his friend as well nodding before speaking again.

"Th' rumblin' happened righ' b'fore the headache," he said plainly. "An' th' headache happened b'fore I passed out. As f'r when I woke up..."

He looked back to Yugi, the spirit blinking. "_You stopped seizing just before the other me told me about the duel,_" Yugi explained. A frown came over his face, and he crossed his arms in thought. "_Actually,_" he realized, "_You woke up just when he finished explaining..._" So the end of the duel then.

Which was probably when he beat Dreadroot. "Then tha' settles it," he decided, Honda merely staring blankly at the half-sided conversation he could hear. "Th' reason why everythin's goin' wonky wi' my vision-y thing is th' 'Ja-Shin'!"

"I really wish you would tell me what the hell you're talking about..."

"So if th' Ja-shin are the cause 'f this," he continued, "I guess we got an entire extra reason t' stop Tenma now.."

"Oiii, Jonouchi..."

"'F course," he added nervously, "'F tha' happens durin' a duel I'm screwed..."

"Jonouchi!"

"Eh!" He grinned, Yugi still sighing from behind him as he continued paying everything else no mind. "Figure tha' out when th' time comes!"

"Are you even listening to me!"

Katsuya turned, blinking as he looked toward Honda. "Nhy?" What, listening to him? Naaaaahhh... Course not, he'd be scared to shit if he was.

His friend sighed. "Whatever," Honda decided, turning to move on. "...Lets just get going alright?" he said, Katsuya staring in confusion. "And try not to have any seizures after the next fight got it?" Seiz-

What! "O-Oii, what the hell do you take me for!" he snarled, before a small cough pulled his attention to 'empty space' once again. "Nh?"

"_Ah... Jonouchi-kun,_" Yugi began, scratching his cheek. "_Listen... I'm going to go up and switch with the other me alright,_" he said, Katsuya listening as the boy went on. "_He needs to rest... The last duel was... ..._" The boy sighed, shaking it off. "_Once he recovers, one of us will probably come back to check in on how you're doing and tell you how things are at our end. But if anything happens before then..._"

He smirked. "Heh- no worries Yugi, we'll let y' know! Nothin's gonna happen- promise yah!"

"You know," Honda said loudly from the side, "I remember the days when I could speak with all my friends at once..."

Again Honda was ignored, Yugi nodding as he and Katsuya both smiled. "R_ight then... I'll see you later!_" he called, before vanishing in what looked to be a thin smoke.

Katsuya jumped somewhat at the abrupt departure, before shaking it off. "Phew... Never gonna get used t' tha'..."

"Used to what?" Honda asked with a laugh. "It's gotta be incredible if it's flying over your head..."

"What was thaaaaaat..!" Just what was he trying to say damn it!

"Hey," he muttered ignorantly, "There's a shadow up there..."

"HONDAAAAAA-!"

"No seriously!" the teen snapped, roughly turning his friend to look up at the large and almost auditorium standard stairway before them. "Look!" He turned, slight frown quickly shifting once he spotted what Honda was talking about. He was right- against the windows of the room above there was a shadow, back turned toward them. Slowly the two walked up the stairs, the shadow revealing itself in the light of the now dusk hour. He had light hair- lighter than his own even, though the top of it was wrapped in what almost seemed to be a turban. To match that particular part of his look was a long, sleeveless cloak that was left hanging open over him, along with a sash around his waist.

The rest of him however, was decidedly 'normal'; baggy pants, shoes... And a duel disk on his left arm Katsuya noted, the man turning toward them only to sigh. "_Jesus,_" he muttered in English, rubbing his head. "_Not you..._" Eh? While he and Honda continued to frown the man again sighed, shaking his head. "_A conspiracy,_" he sighed, the others either unable to understand or unable to understand any more than partially. "It has to be a conspiracy," he repeated, this time in Japanese. "Hahhh..."

"Conspiracy?" Katsuya asked with a frown. "Heh?" What?

The man rolled his eyes, explaining. "Word is," he began, "Mutou Yugi has defeated three people now; as the 'gold prize', his defeat nets me 2 million dollars now. As it is," he sighed, "It's bad enough I have to sit around here... But then some cheap guy like you shows up..."

"C-Cheap-!"

"WHAT!"

And still the man continued. "Man... '500 dollars', is a guy like you even worth it?" Five hundred? Well it was better than 100 but... Come on damn it!

That was nothing next to Yugi!

"Sheesh, it's just pocket change..." Tell him about it! Actually, he could do a lot with five hun- Not the point! "Ahhh..." The American sighed, clicking his tongue. "That's how it is I suppose..." W-What-!

OI! "BASTAAAARD! Don' ignore us!" Katsuya snarled, only to be held back by his friend.

"Jonouchi, shut up for a moment!" No! This guy was saying he wasn't even worth a fight damn it! "Come on..." He looked back to the American before them, continuing as his friend stewed. "It'll be a pain in our ass if he decides to just leave before we can get the card... Just chill out..."

Yeah yeah yeah... "Oh, you think I'm the running type then?" the man asked, turban-like hat creating a somewhat menacing shade over his eyes. "Now what kind of duelist would I be then eh?" Um... A bad one? "You're wasting your time coming up here!" he snarled. "I'll defeat you and fight the 'King of Games' afterward! Your prize might not be much," he laughed, "But regardless of what kind of a pain this is it at least gets me closer to the 2 million!" Closer to Yu-

Why... That... Fucking-

"Stop talkin' like y've won already y' PRICK! You c'n brag when it's over!" His dueldisk clicked into place, cards shuffling and muttering curses under their breaths as he stormed forward. "Duel me!"

"Hhnnnnn, so arrogant..." Arrogant? He was third place in all Japan right now! "You BASTAAAARRR-"

"You know he's just trying to throw you off right?" Honda shouted from behind.

"Shut up! He's pissing me off!"

"Is this because of that headache? Are you getting pissy because of that headache?" No!

… Alright maybe. (It hurt so much...)

"Rrrrhhhggg..."

Chuckling came from across them, and the two looked back with narrowed eyes. "Hnhnhn... What... You think I'm playing around with you? Isn't this the kind of thing your friend deals with all the time, defending his throne?" Shut up-! "Hnhnhahaha... Oh well.. This is a good way to test my deck," the duelist decided. "An easy win!"

Like hell this guy would even come close... "Bastard..."

"You're telling me..."

"Damn it..." The deck settled into place, Katsuya stepping into his own with a snarl. "I'm gonna break yer damn nose open wi' this deck! Lets do this!"

"_Please tell me that was figurative..._" Fig-

God damn it, shut up Panther Warrior! He was busy trying to- "HAHAHAHAAAAA! What kind of line is that?" his opponent howled Katsuya scowling. "Is this really what I'm fighting-"

"You... ...Who th' hell do y' think you are!"

At this the laughter stopped, the duelist's own disk clicking together while his deck shuffled and settled in place. "Me? Card Professor 'Mendo Cino'!" he chuckled, either missing or simply ignoring the sudden pale hue that the two before him took. "And now I've got you trapped, 'pocket-money duelist'... SO!" he shouted, deck spitting out his hand. "Lets duel..! GO!"

Five cards in each hand, decks in place, and both he and Honda were both silent now. It was probably just his grated nerves that kept him from freaking out entirely; just his luck he ran into the guy that was apparently 'high risk' against him according to Pete. Against the guy that was apparently most likely to cut his head off. Even so.

When he saw why... "I'll make the first attack," Mendo began, drawing his sixth card and making his move. "First... I set a card face down," he announced, the tablet arising from the ground with a swirl of dust. Blank. He hated traps damn it, more than anything he hated... "And... Next!" he announced, "I summon the Praying Mantis in attack mode!" When Mendo said 'Mantis', he expected something like Haga's bugs to come up. He was even prepared to sigh in relief, the idea of facing something he already knew how to combat taking a huge load off of him.

And then the carving on the tablet actually began to appear. And then the smoke poured out from the stone, and the monster walked forward. Though it was covered in the exoskeletal armor of an insect, it was far from it, he realized quickly. With almost reptile-like legs it stood on three-clawed toes, an enormous tail formed from what would have likely been the beast's abdomen. The second set of limbs, set in the middle, were the closest thing to 'insect' other than the face, held together as one would expect a person to pray. However, nestled directly below the snapping, thick-necked monster's head were the third pair of limbs... extended far before it, with blades resembling cruel scythes in the place of 'hands' or any sort of clawed limb.

And as the monster tilted its head before hissing in challenge he found himself swallowing. '_Turn end,_' Mendo shouted, the blond having completely missed whatever taunts his opponent had given. His turn then...

And he couldn't let that monster attack. That was the first thing on his mind, and it was by far one of the most important things. "Here goes then!" he shouted, pulling a card from his deck as he set another on the field. "I'll scatter your mantis all over this room..! Set one face down card," he began, blank-faced tablet already strong and tall at his side. "And following that... The Legendary Fisherman!"

Again the stone carving of a whale-riding man came into being, and again the fisherman was the only one to come out from the tablet's face. "_This building,_" he noted immediately, harpoon gripped loosely in his hand. The tanned fisherman turned from the field to look back at his summoner, frowning. "_Isn't this..?_" Seto's tower?

A nod was his only answer, before the blond pointed his monster forward. "Fisherman!" he ordered, the man turning forward again before nodding. "Go! Attack the Praying Mantis!" With a lunge the man charged, harpoon pointed forward for the kill. Just as he came close however-

"Hn! Trap card activate!" Mendo countered, the tablet beside him exploding into a bullet of sand that filled the entire arena with dust. "Forceful recall!" The sand blasted the fisherman clean off his feet before either could even react; and within a moment his tablet was gone, card blown off from the duel disk and into his hand. "Your attack is invalidated," Mendo was shouting from across from him, Katsuya's eyes widening as he looked at the card that had returned between the others on his palm. "Your monster is sent from the field and I'm free to counter your attack! Your defense is gone!" he chuckled, his opponent stepping back with wide eyes. "So..."

"S...Shit..." Not good-! "NOW MANTIS!" the American snarled, his monster giving a loud screech as it charged. "Direct counter attack... HARDEN SABER!" Shit...

Shit-! "Jonouchi..!"

The blades moved almost too fast for his eyes to see, and as he spun and stumbled back from the blades he could see a few strands of his cut hair fall to the ground. The mantis' blades dug into the arena floor behind him, and as it struggled to pull itself out the blond's eyes widened even further. Almost half of his 'life' was gone already. The attack he'd dodged would have impaled him on the spot, with no holding back. And now...

"Understand what you're up against?" Mendo sneered, drawing the card for his next turn. His monster finally succeeded in wrenching its arm free of the tiles, and was now returning to his side. And with the question his opponent asked... "Ready to give in? Or should I continue?" Katsuya of course gave no answer to that, and with another laugh his opponent took his turn. "Now! I activate the spell 'Labor Pain'," he shouted, the set card rising up behind him in the form of a great glowing stone slab. "This card affects both players," he explained, blood draining even further from Katsuya's face. There was little to no image on the tablet behind his opponent, simply a constant glowing light with two hairline strands of the glow attached to their shadows. "Whenever we summon a monster," Mendo explained, "We pay 1000 lifepoints... So think carefully when you summon," he added with a grin. "It could be the last thing you do! HAHAHAHAHA!" 1000...

1000 lifepoints... Constantly...

And with no monster on his field... "Of course, it's only summoned monsters that activate this spell..." Yeah. Of course. "With this, I can easily bypass it! I play another spell!" Mendo called out. "Kamakiri's Ootheca! This guy," he explained, opponent stiffening even more as the tablet that appeared slowly bored a hole to release dust, "Is an egg... An egg that produces a kamakiri token each turn," he continued, the dust slowly rising upward into a round 'nest' of sorts. It certainly wasn't an 'egg' in any case. "As tokens from a spell, these don't count as summons! I don't pay a single thing... HnhnHAHAHAHAAAAA!" One..

One thousand points per summon, special or not... No points taken for tokens, of which his opponent would soon have an abundance of. Which meant an abundance of sacrifices... Which meant even with the cost it was...

It was... "Jonouchi this guy's going to have mantises swarming the field in minutes," Honda hissed, sweat dripping down his friend's brow. "What the hell are you going to do?" What...

What was he... "Y... You got any ideas?" he asked as he looked back, wide eyes half broken as Honda stared.

"Are you fucking serious-"

"Set one card face down and end my turn," Mendo shouted, the others snapping their attention forward. "Go on... Find a way to attack!"

"Gh..." Shit...

"Jonouchi..." Damn it...

"My turn then!" he grit out, narrowing his eyes. Labor Pain and Kamakiri Ootheca... If he didn't get rid of both he was screwed. The card he drew just now his mind told him, was 'Hurricane'. Return all magic and trap cards to the hand. But even with that...

The fact was he told himself as he took a different card in his hand, he could easily put it back on the field- so if he did that too soon he was just as screwed.

Instead, he'd have to do this. "Tch... I pay 1000 lifepoints," he called, tablet rising to his side yet again. "An' once again... Legendary Fisherman; this time in d'fense mode," he added, teeth grinding. He should have attacked. Hell anyone else would! But the chances that the tablet before him hid another 'Forceful Recall'... He just couldn't take that shot.

Not when his gut was pounding at him so much- he knew he never got flashes of duels but...

Well this time it just felt too risky. Another tablet rose at his side, blank face staring out in contrast to the unmoving carving on the one in front of him. "One more card face down," he announced. "End turn."

"Hnhnhnhn... Mine then. And with that!" his opponent shouted, skittering sounds coming from the 'egg' at his side, "A baby Kamakiri is born!" The scuttling sound grew louder and, while it resembled a mantis more than its 'brother' did, the creature that climbed out would still have made someone like Insector Haga scream angrily about how it 'wasn't'. With only four legs, its bottom ones mirrored the one beside it, somewhat rounded claws at their toes. Two jagged scythes sat on its upper limbs, and large buggy eyes stared forward on another 'too thick for a mantis' neck. With that however... "I now have two monsters for sacrifice," Mendo chuckled, snapping a card from his hand. "So... I pay 1000 life points," he roared, each of his insects shooting upward in a pillar of dust, before merging into a single thick wall. "Offering the Praying Mantis and the Baby Kamakiri to summon this... The mantis with the scythe of the Shinigami himself!" the man announced. "Arise! DEATHSCYTHE KILLER!"

If the name hadn't been enough then the figure that charged through the sand 'wall' in front of him more than cemented just how screwed he would be if he didn't figure something out now. It was almost centaurian in appearance. Below the waist it had the body of an insect, long thorax trailing behind it with six limbs clacking across the ground. Above this however, was a 'man', if it could be called that. Covered in either black and shriveled flesh or bone-like exoskeletal armor the monster stepped forward with an enormous scythe in hand. The metal gleamed dully in what was now naught but moonlight, and though it was clear the beast could not speak its eyes looked toward Katsuya with a challenging, inhuman stare. For the same price that Katsuya had given just now, Mendo had summoned 'death' to the field. While he had nothing but a tablet of stone...

No offense to the fisherman. "Tear the Legendary Fisherman to pieces!" Mendo ordered, his monster not caring that all he would cut was tablet. "Go, Deathscythe Killer!" Ku...

"Activate face down card!" he countered immediately, a blur of colour taking the strike from the Killer's blade. The tablet beside him smoked and crumbled, the token goat's two halves falling bloodily to the ground before they crumbled into sand. "Hah... Scapegoat!" he shouted to his opponent, Mendo's eyes widening. "An' I got three left..."

"Hn! I'll just be testing the waters then," Mendo chuckled, ignoring the scowl from his opponents. "Whatever... I end my turn!"

"Right! In tha' case..." He had no choice but to stall for now, he told himself with a swallow. And all he had... Was this card in his hands now. "Set one card face down," he said with a swallow. "End turn."

He was answered almost immediately with chuckling. "Hnhnhnhn..." And here he'd thought Pete pissed him off; at least Pete was a decent guy after the end. "You managed to postpone your immediate death," Mendo laughed, "But the next turn it's all over! Watch!" he shouted, the egg to his side shaking as a new mantis crawled out. A low keen met the air, and it shook itself before looking up in awestruck fear at the monster beside it. He supposed that in a way, this was the equivalent of being in the presence of a 'God' for the little guy. Hahaha...

If it only knew... The humor was quickly ripped from the situation as two more kids leaped out from the stone beside him, the pair just quickly cleaved in two by the combination of a metal and an insect's claw. Wincing as the bodies turned to dust he bit his lip. "Ghahahaha... Only one sheep left!" Mendo laughed. "Looks like you don't have anything left after all! Phswww!" He shook his head, giving a sarcastic whistle. "Have to say... Not bad for a pocket-change duelist. But not enough to raise your score either."

"Really?" he countered, drawing his next card. He'd show him pocket change... "Well it's my turn!" And he knew exactly what to do! With what was in his hand...

And what was in his deck...

He looked forward with stone eyes, setting the cards and moving them about without even sparing the dueldisk a glance. "I activate from my hand the spell 'Cross Shift'!" he started, the magic instantly wiping his scapegoat tablet clean. "It allows me to exchange one monster on the field with one on my hand... This," he continued, tone devoid of nearly any emotion, "Is not a summon... I exchange Scapegoat for the Swordsman of Landstar!" Katsuya shouted, the blank stone face replacing itself with a cartoonbuilt 'alien' in armor. "And now that I have two monsters on the field... I'll pay 1000 lifepoints for my last summon this duel!" It was all he could do after all...

And it was all he needed!

"_Hnnn..!_" For as the monsters dissolved into dust and rose upward, forming another tablet behind him, the Psycho Shocker was already working his magic. "_HAH_!"

"I summon the Cyborg, Psycho Shocker," Katsuya announced, fine red lasers shooting forth from the immense stone as the spandex clad monster stepped forward. "And with his effect... Your traps are all destroyed!"

"GH-"

Stone flew through the air as the lasers connected, Psycho Shocker's summoning nonetheless remaining still. The monster was in attack mode; had to be for the effect to work. And though Mendo was snarling at the loss of his trap... "HAHA! YES! YES! Alright! Great comeback Jonouchi!" Honda laughed, a wide grin on his face. "Come on and say it! You're the man! YES!"

"Yeah," he muttered, standing stiffly in place. "Seems like it, doesn' it?" he said quietly, Honda's expression quickly fading.

"What..."

"Hnhnhnhn..." Mendo's scowl faded as he looked toward the teen, shaking his head. "It's like he said... Take a look, mister 'non duelist'; true, Psycho Shocker's power surpasses the Deathscythe's at the moment," he said with a shrug. "But anyone who can read knows that I can sacrifice one of my other monsters at any time to increase his power by that amount of attack points. And this Baby Kamakiri here... Well," he chuckled, "500 plus 2300 will easily surpass your 2400... The Psycho Shocker simply can't compete," Mendo sighed. "That being said... What are you going to do now?" Right now?

"J... Jonouchi," Honda muttered from the side. "Jonouchi, that..."

"Go on," Mendo taunted, eyes wide as he laughed. "Say it! You have nothing left right? So SAY IT!"

No.

He didn't.

"...End turn."

"HHAAAAA_HAHAHAHAHAAAA_!"

* * *

How long had it been now since she had checked in at the hotel here she wondered idly. One month was a long time to put off returning back for someone like herself- ordinarily business trips lasted little more than a few days, after which she would be heading home to see Mokuba. If, that is, he wasn't with her already. She wasn't one to remain away from home- and the fact was she was hardly the sort to bother with vacations. It was weird, postponing her return like this.

If she were to say the reason aloud, she would say that she was simply there because she wished to oversee a few things while Kaibaland was being built. As it was, her current location at the US National Duel tournament was simply a matter of location, invitation, and idle curiosity on her part when Mokuba eagerly brought it up. Evidently Rebecca Hopkins was defending her national crown at the moment, and Mokuba wanted to watch. A part of her- the part that wasn't busy holding the image of a CEO- knew damn well that it wasn't the dueling he wanted to watch, and as a now bespectacled Rebecca summoned up her Luster Dragon to the Tournament field below she was probably not the only one to notice that her brother's eyes were on the girl and not the monsters themselves.

There was a look on his face, whether he knew it or not she would tell herself. And then that same part that noticed would realize that the look was far too similar to a certain 'mutt's expression half the time at dinner, and she'd feel somewhat sick to her stomach.

'Like' and 'Dislike' were not things she had time for at the moment. In her position particularly. She was finding it alarmingly difficult to ignore the two warring factions in her head however, which brought up the reason that she had yet to- if ever- voice aloud, even to herself. The last time she'd seen Katsuya- and spoken to him even- he'd grabbed her and kissed her, before going so far as to confess to her.

And then got himself stabbed in the chest by what should have been a hologram. Even she couldn't deny the fact that the act had shaken her. It'd be one thing to deny concern if she'd held composure, but the fact remained that alone or not...

Her eyes narrowed from her seat in the private viewing room of the stadium, her brother too distracted to notice at the moment. One month. Perhaps telling the blond he was on 'house arrest' was a little extreme, a softer voice in the back of her mind muttered. He'd have probably driven Isono and Kyouko both up the wall by now. And she could hardly continue to run from the fact that at some point, she would have to address what he'd done that day. At the same time...

A duel like the one she was watching now had the power to kill Katsuya. A fact she could not deny despite all of her being screaming about how it wasn't possible, and how she wanted anything but that to ever happen. '_And why do you want him to live so badly?_' the more annoying side of her thoughts would ask. '_You can hardly say it's for your brother now, this goes beyond that._'

That was true she would admit. It was more than Mokuba. But before she decided on 'why' she would cram that voice back where it came from with a flushed and scowling face, at which point her brother would ask what she was upset about and she would be left coming up with some last minute (but nonetheless... 'Solid'...) excuse. Perhaps it was time to head back she found herself thinking, leaning back a moment in her seat. Yugi's words on the duel field...

She wanted to take those words to heart. For her brother's sake. For her own sake...

'_Abandon your hatred_'.

Hah! Easier said than done; the world was chock full of idiots and things that reminded her of a bitter past. Regardless... Even Mokuba had commented on how much calmer she'd been in the face of such things following Battle City. Perhaps it was a step in the right direction.

A step that was quickly challenged and possibly torn down again when chuckling began to echo through the air. "...Hn?"

"Who's that?" Mokuba said with a start, turning to look behind from his chair. There was no answer to the question and the boy stood, frowning. "...Hello?" Again, no response. Odd...

Now what was- "An interesting tournament," the voice chuckled, Seto narrowing her eyes as she stood. The room was still empty; but if there was no one there, then how- "Reminds me of one that my teacher held... Of course," the voice continued, source slowly rising from the ground itself with a hate filled stare, "In those days, I was nothing but a shadow of the 'perfect' moon, which took all the light and praise that the 'sun' could offer..." Hold on now...

This voice-! "W-WU_AAH_!" Mokuba stumbled back as the hologram arose completely, Yakou Tenma's face twisting into a mad and sneering smile if the expression could even be called such. "H- Hah... What is..."

"Hologram," Seto hissed under her breath, quickly replacing the disguise of deeper tones over her voice. "You... Tenma," she addressed with somewhat wide eyes. "Just what are you doing here?" And...

_How_, she knew that Pegasus' stolen equipment wouldn't be capable of this! "Hnhnhn... It's been a while hasn't it?" he asked with a shrug, chuckling under his breath. "I just thought I'd use my resources to say 'hello'..." A damn complex way to say 'hello', the amount of technology needed to 'hologram' call even with a virtual reality pod was already-

Screams were sounding from on the field now, and with still widening eyes the siblings looked down. "What in the..."

"What's going on?" Rebecca's opponent was shouting, shaking his disk with wide eyes. "My monster isn't summoning!"

"Forget that, the entire field vanished completely!" she answered, a flash of light skipping over her glasses as she backed away in shock. "What in the..."

"Mr. Kaiba-!" The woman looked down over the 'balcony' of the room she stood in, a frown already coming over top the look of confusion as one of the staff below shouted up. The holograms were gone, she noted immediately. All of them were gone other than the one behind her... "Mr. Kaiba," the man repeated, "We just received word from your Solid Vision department that all access to the system is being denied!"

What..?

"The dueldisks of the competitors here are not the only ones that have lost access to the system," he added. "Aside from a small handful, the entire world just lost connection!" Lost connec-

…

No... "Impossible," she spat, shaking her head. "_ALL_ at once?" It was impossible, completely impossible but...

There was nothing but a shaky nod and all at once her body stiffened. Ohhhh. Ohhhho_oooh_ this was not-

Screw 'abandon your hatred' this man was going to pay dearly! "TENMA!" she snarled, switching to Japanese as her fists clenched tight. For the system she designed herself to do such a thing there was only one possible cause. She herself was here. Tenma however...

Could be anywhere.

"What do you think you're _doing_?" she snarled warningly, nothing but dark chuckling answering her shouts.

"Huhuhuhuhuh... Realize just what it is I've done?" he laughed, coat 'flapping' around him in a nonexistent wind. "For the good of a certain plan I've taken control of the Duel Ring server. Only for a period of 24 hours, I assure you... But I decided that it would be better to let you know before you reacted 'violently'..."

"VIOLENTLY?" she roared incredulously, face growing red. "You... The contract between our companies does not concern the Duel Ring Server to this extent. Whatever plan YOU have can take a back seat in your closet TENMA, and if you think that telling me will at all lighten whatever strike I intend to give in return then let me tell you this! I will NEVER... NEVER forgive you for even TOUCHING my server network!" By the time she'd said even this she was already stalking toward the hologram, a part of her mind momentarily forgetting that an attack would do no good.

In an instant however the figure began to smoke. From the bottom up Tenma began to evaporate, a mocking bow that caused his hair to hide half his face exactly the last thing he did as he vanished. "Hnhnhn... Save your vengeance drive for the end, 'sir'," he laughed, the mist filling the back end of the room. "Okay..?" Ku...

There were still shouts below. '_It's no good,_' they cried, '_Anything we do is blocked; there's a complete cessation on the signal, there's nothing!_' Tch...

And of course...

'_We can't contact the main office in Japan!_' someone was muttering. _'The most we got was an e-mail from the manager's home..._' Though that certainly explained how the message got through...

"Gh... Nee-sama," Mokuba said with a quiet swallow, looking over the edge of the balcony. "If all connections have been cut to the point where we're getting mails from a home-computer..."

"Something's happened in Japan," she muttered darkly, already turning toward the door. Something incredibly bad, if her gut feeling and current thoughts were any sign. Still. She'd known that 'Yakou' was acting oddly, but this! He was an entirely different person! Persistence was one thing, but the expression on his face...

She swallowed, a small wave of unease passing over her despite the apparent calm she held. It had been like staring down Noa in the other world, during his 'break down' if it could have been called that. And that...

That was never a good sign. "...Mokuba," she said quickly, looking back to the boy. "Let's go. We can have our luggage sent after us."

"Right," he responded, grabbing the woman's briefcase from the side and carrying it as he followed. Something had happened in Japan, her mind repeated.

And it looked as though her decision on extending or ceasing her stay in the USA had been decided for her.

* * *

With shadowed eyes he looked forward on the field, his expression completely unreadable. Behind him Honda had been rendered silent in shock. Across from him his opponent was literally howling with laughter, before drawing a card and starting his turn.

And beside him the Psycho Shocker stood, silent as he usually was...

But unlike usual, he turned to fix his lens covered eyes on the blond at his side. "_Boy,_" he said flatly, Katsuya not looking up. "_You sense the darkness in this place._" It was not a question, nor was it even an accusation. The Psycho Shocker wasn't one to do that; he was merely stating a fact as he always did. However, there was apparently more for him to say. "_You are lucky you can still see me. ...Or are you?_" he added almost curiously, confusion flooding his summoner's mind. "_Your injuries will not heal while darkness sits on them boy. Do not throw your caution to the wind._" And again this was not an insult, or even a warning; it was a statement, and one that banished all confusion of earlier words from mind.

The Psycho Shocker knew just as well as he did what he had in his hand and what he had on the field. He knew what would happen this turn.

He just didn't know what would happen after that, and something told him that what the cyborg was talking about had nothing to do with the duel.

Regardless. "It's my turn again!" Mendo laughed, eyes still wide as his apparent success came into view. "And a new baby Kamakiri is born!" The skittering insect crawled out from the egg, tumbling onto the ground as its summoner continued to speak. "Playtime's over!" he laughed. "For I offer both of the Kamakiri as a sacrifice to give their power to the Deathscythe!" And as the two tiny mantises became a dust to coat the 'Killer'...

"Jonouchi..!" With the blade gleaming beneath the light of the room... "That thing is... Really strong now.. Ahhhh..."

"GO, DEATHSCYTHE!" the blond's opponent roared, the insect-beast rearing as it swung the scythe forward. "Mince Psycho Shocker with the Shinigami's scythe!" The blade came closer...

"Activate trap," he shouted, "Shield and Sword!"

"What-!" The tablet at his side crumbled into dust, Katsuya's expression still unchanged. "Attack and d'fense reverse," he announced, the difference in power switching to a mere 100 in an instant. "So yer attack bonus 's useless!"

"Gh... But Deathscythe Killer's attack power is still higher than yours," Mendo pointed out, monster still charging as the blade came toward them. "Which means he still wins through! GO! FISSURE SLICE!" Before Psycho Shocker could even move his arms from their typically confident 'crossed' position the blade cut down, cutting him just as cleanly in two as all those before it. It'd been a while Katsuya realized, since he had to see the insides of his monsters like this... Since he'd seen this sort of detail before the magic of the field could clear it from sight. Looking away as organs turned to sand however he forced himself to continue to hold a mask of indifference. And instead...

Activate the trap that sat beside him now. The trap which had crumbled into dust on the air, smoke filling the area behind him as the sounds of a moving metal 'capsule' came through it. The trap that he hadn't even realized he still had until a few days ago. "Hnhnhn... Managed to earn yourself extra time it looks like," his opponent laughed, unaware of the trap that was taking form behind the blond. "But what are you going to do now?" he continued. "Can you summon a new monster with your remaining lifepoints? Can you defeat the monster you went to such lengths to weaken? Still biding your TIME?" he roared, only to pale. "Wh... What..."

As Mendo's eyes fell upon the Time Machine that had evidently appeared behind him in holographic form as well as in reality Katsuya stared back, expression as unchanged as before. "Tha' was a bad move," he told him, "Pickin' th' word 'time'..." The time machine hovered behind him, covered in smoke and steam and ticking as the clock on its door frame spun. As the timer up top shifted the doors opened... And stepping forth from its chambers was a renewed Psycho Shocker, clad in tight leather and cloth and staring forward with sightless lens covered eyes. "Have some peace 'f mind," Katsuya said lowly. "Th's duel's finished... An' you lose! I activated my trap when Psycho Shocker died," he explained, gesturing to the being. "Th' Time Machine! Bringin' him back fr'm one turn ago, back from b'fore I switched his attack with 's defense. 2400 against 1600!" he continued, the power coming off the cyborg in waves. "Yer monster doesn' stand a chance! NOW... Psycho Shocker!" he ordered. "COUNTER!

"_CYBER ENERGY SHOT!_"

With an explosion of flames the Deathscythe was gone. Electricity cracked over its burning husk and the body collapsed into ashes in the air, before even that was nothing but sand on the ground with a destroyed tablet. "Hah... You did it Jonouchi!" Honda shouted, a grin coming over his friend's face.

"Hah! YEAH!" Fist knocked against fist before he turned back to the field, where it was still Mendo's turn. He'd gotten rid of the main problem after all. So...

What now? "Tch... I summon Mantis Guard in Defense mode," the man grit out, a large and again reptilian 'insect' carving its image across the tablet that appeared. Hehehe...

Hehe... And that way Labor pain left him with next to no power himself, his lifepoint count about as low as his own. "What's this abou'?" he laughed, drawing his next card. "Though' y' weren' bettin' on losin'!"

"Gh..." No response from Mendo, not that it mattered.

"My turn," the blond went on, "An' b'fore the Psycho Shocker attacks, I activate this from my hand! Stop Defense!" he announced, the mantis jumping out from its tablet the instant the spell was called. "An' now... The final attack! CYBER. ENERGY.

"_SHOT!_"

"GHHH-!" Again the sparks ripped through the air, and again the scent of fried mantis filled it. With the insect's destruction the field had already begun to smoke away. Dust streamed off to the side and faded from even that... And as Mendo looked forward his eyes widened even more. "You... They said you were worth... 500 dollars... And that's it-!" Again with the money prizes.

"Tch... Listen here Mendo," he growled, stepping forward. "My 'defeat prize' might not be much, but let me tell-"

_SCCCCCHRRRRROOOOOOUUU--!_

"What th' FUU_UUUUC-_"

"Holy shit Jonouchi look outside!"

"Gh- What th' hell are y' sayin'!" he shouted back, hands on his ears, "I can' hear a word yer... Say... Sayin'..."

A white jet shot past the window, streaks of steam misting around where it once stood. The plane seemed to almost be circling the tower, the sounds of its engines roaring loudly over the air, but that wasn't the point.

"Tha'..."

"That plane..."

With wings of white and a cockpit shaped like a dragon's head, four legs tucked close beneath the body to serve as a landing gear. Pale-blue tinted glass, two figures clearly visible beneath it...

"No way," he muttered, eyes widening. "Sh... He flew back..?"

"For some reason," he breathed, before shaking his head and squinting. "Wait a second..." He frowned. "What th' hell's tha' chasin' her?"

Again the plane spiraled through the air, evasive manoeuvres easily witnessed from those at the window. Behind the plane a shadow could be seen- with great reddish wings and a single white horn on its head. And yet as the jet finally turned to hover, it was only now that they could see what it was, the pursuer having stopped as well.

"No," Honda said incredulously. "No way... They're being chased by a DRAGON?"

"That's not just any dragon," Mendo muttered, coming up to stand beside them with narrowed eyes. Evidently this was almost normal for him, as he continued on as though it was an everyday occurrence. "That's a White Horn..." White...

"A 'White Horn'?" Honda repeated, the man beside them nodding.

"Yeah. That's Willa Mette's dragon."

* * *

When the radar on the sensors hadn't detected anything behind them, she was beginning to wonder if her brother was seeing things. It was a long flight after all; Mokuba had been awake for the entire trip, sitting in the back seat and either playing games or staring out the window. Counting the time difference, he'd been up far longer than he should have. So really, when he said something was chasing them she'd been a little skeptical. Nothing on the sensors, nothing behind them...

And then they'd caught sight of the shadow beneath them as they circled the KaibaCorp building, and Mokuba was proven right. "What does the radar say now?" she asked tensely, the jet doing a barrel roll as her brother gripped the seat and grimaced.

"Same as before," he told her with a swallow. "No heat or radar, it's like it isn't even there!"

Well that was all great, but as long as whatever it was blocked their vision, they couldn't land! "Damn it..." Time to activate the lift fans, she muttered in her mind, flipping a few switches as the jet turned in the air. Time to hover and find out just what the hell was- The woman paled, watching the 'shadow' swoop up in front of them with a roar. "...Th- What the hell-!"

"A DRAGON?!" Mokuba shouted, the monster snarling from where it stood before the tower. "We're being chased by a DRAGON?" He abruptly choked grabbing at his throat. "Gah- stings..!" Hahahaha...

That was his reward for shouting after silence and nothing to drink the entire trip. "Need some water?" she muttered almost humorously, before wincing as the 'White Horn' sent out another roar. "Tch..." How was this thing even there, really...

"Nee-sama, what's a dragon doing in front of the tower?" the boy asked, watching skeptically as his sister flipped another switch.

"Being a pain," she hissed. "Tch... TENMA!" Seto roared, the cockpit's glass shield opening up as she stood from her seat. "This tower belongs to me and my brother!" she spat. "Your worthless excuse for a dragon will NOT disgrace it! Take a look," she continued, clicking her dueldisk on and setting a card on its field, "At this building's TRUE protector! BLUE-EYES!"

"_GRAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_"

In an explosion of light the white scales filled the air, the living, breathing dragon facing the hologram before it with a snarl. With ease the attack she launched destroyed the being- shards of light flickered out from existence, and with one swift click the 'duel' if it could be called that was ended.

"_Grrrnnnn.._." With a low bow the dragon 'sang', fading out of sight just as quickly as she had been summoned. And as the glass began to close over once more Seto took her seat, flipping the 'hover' off and heading toward the tower's landing pad.

"...Woah," Mokuba commented from the back. "...That was cool..."

"Hn!" She smirked, moving the plane to land. "It's nothing but pest control..."

Nonetheless, the smirk was closer to a smile than anything. The woman frowned just as quickly as the expression came, the cockpit popping open to reveal a single young man standing by the tower's roof exit. Great. Obstacles. "...Mokuba," she said calmly. "...How about you get us a way in while I deal with this one, hm?"

The boy nodded. "Got it!"

He hopped out the side, his sister doing the same from the opposite end before walking forward. The teen before them seemed to be whistling at the moment- shaking his head in surprise and staring at the one who was now crossing the arena/landing pad between the jet and himself. "WOW!" he shouted, clear English hitting the air. "So that was the famous Blue-Eyes White Dragon... Impressive." Of course it was she was half tempted to growl, it was _Blue-Eyes_. At least she wasn't stuck listening to Duelist-Sarcasm though she decided.

This one's tone was genuine. Though on another mental subject she wished she'd worn a little less than what she was now, as she'd forgotten to take into consideration the temperature differences in her rush to leave... This coat was almost unbearable now.

Regardless. "I wonder," the American before her asked, holding a deck of cards in his hand as Mokuba slipped unseen toward the controls on the door. "Which one will defeat the other? Your Blue-Eyes... Or my 'White-Horn'?" Tch!

Was there even a question! "Don't even compare my deck to your cheap excuse for a paperweight," she snarled, stepping forward. "Now get out of my way!"

He shook his head, sighing. "Ahhh... Afraid I can't do that," the teen admitted. "Orders from my employer, 'Yakou Tenma' are to keep anyone from entering. To pass," he continued with a slight bow, "You have to beat me, understand? You win, you move on, you lose... You leave," he said after a moment, looking toward the jet and shaking his head. It almost looked as though he'd planned on saying something else for a moment there... "So!" The duelist grinned. "What'll it be?" This person...

Seto narrowed her eyes, frowning somewhat as she fastened the dueldisk she'd thankfully had with her inside her jet. "You... If I recall correctly you're one of the Card Professors," she noted, the only sound meeting her 'opponent's ears the sound of her disguised voice. "'Willa Mette'."

"Oh..? You know of me?" he asked, laughing almost bashfully. "Well! The so-called 'Prince of Cards' knows my name... That's an honor huh!" P-Prince!

...She'd ignore that. ...Just. For now. "I've also heard you're one of the more high ranking professors," she went on, forcing herself not to snarl at her current opponent's responses. "The apparent 'third tier'..."

"Ooooh! I'm a celebrity!" Willa continued to laugh, arms crossed. "Incredible! You know your stuff, 'Prince'!" Again. Again he'd said-

Hm! "Please," Seto snorted, a dark smirk on her face. "We both know you're nothing but Tenma's 'guard dog' right now..."

The teen seemed more or less unaffected, shrugging. "Hey hey... That's a big difference from the truth there," Willa laughed. "I'm not some guy's 'servant'... I'm just here for the prize; he's my financial support you might say!" Money? So that was his reason then?

Pathetic. "I had a feeling," she muttered coolly. Just another flea-bitten hyena after the next cash-in... "And just what prize might you be after, 'hyena'?"

"Hehehe... That one's new," he chuckled, moving to the side where the controls for the lights around them sat. "The prize for you is 100,000 dollars... And for one duel, that ain't too shabby! Of course," he added, pulling the switch down for a tall arena to rise up from the center of the building behind him, "...We aren't going to be dueling in the dark so..." Willa gestured to the arena as lights filled the air, shrugging while the resulting glare cast his opponent completely in shadow. "Ta-daaah!" Ahaha...

No. This was hardly the time for a duel- the disk would be for hacking the hologram system. Seto rolled her eyes, already walking toward the door with a glare. "Let me be clear," she warned. "I am in no mood to associate myself with this farce you call a blockade- this is my building. My rules- not Tenma's. So either you let me pass now, or-"

"I don't think you should finish that sentence," Willa drawled, moving back to stand in front of the door. "It's useless- either you drink to this rule that Tenma's set up, or who knows... Your entire computer could be gone! Brrf," he added with emphasis, gesturing an explosion as Seto paled. "Just like that!" W...

Wh... "WHAT."

Again Willa shrugged, shaking his head. "Hey- don't look at me like that now! Guy's a complete nutcase, there's no telling what he'll do." Really now! Tell her something she didn't figure out for herself already!

"Something like that..." Something like blowing up her entire damn building?!

"I really wouldn't put it past the guy," Willa laughed, before giving an almost shocked look to the ground in spite of his words.

"That..." Tenma... That damned bastard of a- "Alright then," she spat, almost forcing the disk into place as her deck was set within it. "You say you'll let me through after this duel? Then I'll hold you to those words, 'hyena'! DUEL! Lets go!" she continued, already drawing herself a hand as Willa smirked. "I'll be moving first! And I draw!" And. In her hand right now... The woman glanced over her cards, before looking back toward her opponent with steel eyes. Hn. "Set a card face down," she announced, the hologram immediately appearing before her knees. "Following that, I summon the Blade Knight in attack mode!" Another hologram rose, the almost 'fringed' blades of the monster's armor meeting the air. "Turn end," Seto shouted. "Your move!"

"Alright then," Willa laughed, expression scarcely serious in regard to the duel. "I draw! And I think I'll do something a little like you- I set a face down card," he began, before taking another card from his hand, "And following that summon Lancer Dragonewt, in defense mode! End turn!" Hnn?

The armed and anthropomorphic dragon appeared in a flash, nonetheless hovering in place as it came to her turn. "Hnhnhnn... What's the matter?" she taunted, drawing her next card. "Not going to attack? Prize not worth the effort?"

"Ahhh, what can I say, your actions confuse me," he chuckled, shaking his head. Hn! As if... He just didn't want to get caught in a trap.

"My turn then!" she instead decided to shout, setting another card on the field. "Summon the Blood Vorse," Seto announced as the hologram appeared, "And attack! If you won't move then I'll move for you! KILLING YOUR MONSTER EASILY!" she added. "Hnhnhnhnhn..."

Fragments of holographic light misted on the air in the path of her monster's blade, a dark smile on her face. At this rate she thought to herself, she'd have to stall to buy Mokuba time in unlocking the doors... All the same-

Her expression abruptly fell, a glimmer of confusion visible in her eyes. "...What the..." The mist hadn't faded.

It simply became mist. The entire body of the monster she'd just destroyed was now smoking in the air, the appearance of a ghostly white version of its original form hovering in front of her. "Activate trap!" Willa shouted, the woman's eyes snapping to the card and its description as it flipped upward. "Mist body! With this card," he explained, "Dragonewt can't be harmed by normal attacks... And," he added with a grin, "I take no damage!" That-

Immunity to anything outside its 'card type'... "Tch. You..." Alright then. New plan. "I set another trap on the field," she decided, narrowing her eyes. "End turn." Now...

'_Come_', she thought with a smirk. Come to meet 'doom'. The cards Shrink and Crush Card Virus would destroy him completely, and all he needed to do was attack. That was all...

"My turn," Willa shouted, his own face twisting into a sneering expression of sorts. "Draw!" The teen looked over his card for only a moment, before turning his odd look toward his opponent. "And it looks like you're in for a treat, 'Kaiba'! You set a trap and I'll do the same... I wonder what you're up to," he chuckled, tone taking a dark turn as he set the cards on the field. "Two cards face down," he began. "And in addition, I'll summon this guy! Axe Dragonewt!" he announced, the armored and bipedal dragon appearing on the field in a flash. "Now... The Axe attacks, but first I'll play this spell! Card Hexa-Chief!" Hexa-

"Gh- THIS!" A series of holographic chains appeared to pin her cards down in an almost blinding strike of light, Seto's eyes widening. With this her traps couldn't be activated. Nothing would change that- it was as though they'd been removed from play, only without the ability to come back. Her crush card strategy was completely sealed, and with that-!

"Oh my... With that look," Willa noted, his opponent looking up from the cards with narrowed eyes, "I wonder if one of those were important..." He knew damn well it was important, she'd let her 'pokerface' slip... "Well then!" the teen shouted with a grin. "No matter! Now that I've been assured that your traps won't stop me, I can attack! SO! Axe Dragonewt!" Willa ordered, monster charging from the mist that formed him. "Get the Blade Knight!"

Shards of glass and metal seemed to fragment before the hologram followed suit, scattering through the air and fading in the light around them. '_End turn_,' her opponent had shouted, a bare minimum of cards left in his hand. So...

"Mine then," she spat, almost ripping the card from her deck. For a hyena like this to even scratch her... Hn! An embarrassment- that's what it was! Worse than even the mu-

...Actually, she wouldn't be surprised if Katsuya put up quite a fight now. Not something near Yugi's level of course but...

Given that he'd stood against Ra... (Speaking of Ra, a duel against Katsuya was probably the worst possible idea anyone could have given recent circumstance.)

Seto looked over her card, instantly switching it for another pair in her hands. "Set one card face down," she started, a clear hologram appearing near the chained images beside them. "Your loss will not take much longer... I offer the Blood Vorse as a sacrifice," Seto announced as the monster swirled in a pillar of light and pixels, "Summoning this! The Sword Stalker- and using his effect," she continued, the almost completely black monster grinning with a fixed and menacing expression while it crackled into existence, "He gains 20% of the attack power from the monster you destroyed not long ago! The monster's vengeance is nigh!" the woman went on. "Go... Attack Axe Dragonewt!"

"Trap activate!" What! As the blade dug through the light-formed beast deja-vu seemed to set over the field. From the scraps of pixel and light game a mist-like image... And before it shattered to pieces the monster returned to its original position, hologram fogging in place. "Bad luck eh, Kaiba? Running into this again..." _'Again_'? Why was mist body on the field again, the card was-

Her eyes instantly fell on the trap that had been activated, teeth grinding. "Tch..."

"Synchronic ability!" Willa laughed, hands held out to the field in gesture. "The card that gives the equipped monster the same ability that others of the same type have! In other words... Axe Dragonewt, as the same type as the Lancer, gains the power of Mist Body... Which means that, like Lancer Dragonewt," he continued, "Axe Dragonewt is no longer affected by any attacks! Hnhnhnhnhn..." Well wasn't that just- "Your deck's predictable," Willa sneered, shaking his head. "'Attack Attack Attack'... Your monster power is being destroyed and all because of how much you emphasize that ability. Not many monsters in your deck have magic effects... You're going to need a reliable counter other than just attack if you want to beat me, 'Prince of Cards'!" Again with the prince!

"Hn!" Nonetheless- he'd obviously done his research... Which meant she'd just have to utilize a few new strategies then. Her deck was powerful- but not without cause. "Damn it..."

"My turn now!" her opponent shouted, "And I'm gonna keep the spells coming! I activate the spell Union Attack!" he called, another card appearing while his opponent held her glare. "Allowing the monsters to combine their attacks into one against a single monster! Your battle damage is 'zero'," Willa added with a shrug, "But then again, so's your monster! Both Dragonewts attack!" he shouted, the mist-beasts charging her swordstalker with a snarl, "DOUBLE SLICER!"

"Ksssst...!" The monster shattered in the air, her arms brought up when the backdraft blasted against her. Gh... Damn it all..!

"Swordstalker is crushed!" her opponent laughed, Seto merely gritting her teeth with a scowl. "And your only shield is gone! You can summon as many things in defense as you like," Willa continued, half cackling as his monsters returned to his side of the field, "But your deck doesn't have a single thing to counter this!"

"Hnnn? And how's that I wonder?" she asked, looking across the field as calmly as she could in the current situation.

"Hnn?" She narrowed her eyes, drawing another card before swiping a different one out of her hand.

"In the world of Duel Monsters, there is a being that surpasses all others," she warned, narrowing her eyes. "And I'll show you her now... It's my turn! First, I activate the set spell, 'Silence of the Dead'... Bringing back the Blade Knight in defense mode," Seto announced, watching as the crouching knight's hologram instantly appeared before her in the spell card's place. "And... Following that, a spell card from my hand! Cost down! Cutting the levels of monsters in my hand by two during this turn! Watch," she half-sneered. "The flames from this beast's mouth are more than enough 'magic' ability for this deck..."

"You- That monster-"

"RISE!" Seto cried, the light of the Blade Knight's hologram shattering into a fine and diamond-like dust in the air. "The supreme being... BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGON!"

"_GRAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_" Mist body only worked against monsters of a different type. So with that...

The light around her began to take solid form, soaring through the air behind her. With a mighty roar it landed before scales had even developed, before its shining blue eyes were clear enough to see, and before its body even held solid form. The dragon lowered its head, and with still narrowed eyes she nodded.

"I had your traps in mind when I summoned this dragon," she called out, pointing her monster forward. "You have a defense against almost all cards in existence but dragons are still an exception to the rule! And with this," she went on, "Your Mist Body is finished! GO! BURST STREAM!"

"_GRAAAAAAAAAAAAOO_!"

"ACTIVATE TRAP!" What? "Delayed Summon!" WHAT-!

"To summon a monster that can surpass Blue-Eyes' power?" she asked incredulously, reading the description on the trap. Summon a monster of equal level to your opponent's own when a monster is summoned, provided proper tribute is offered. But even so... "There's not a monster that can do that! It's-"

"Impossible?" her opponent laughed, Blue Eyes' attack nonetheless launching forward. "Normally yes. But this one..." The card appeared on the field to before the monster itself could, and instantly Seto tensed. True- Blue-Eyes was the most powerful normal monster.

But evidently the Tenma brothers decided her deck was too powerful that way. Monsters had come and gone for quite some time with more or less power than Blue-Eyes, each with their own drawbacks... But if there was one thing she knew about Willa Mette it was that his trump card had an effect that would be, as Katsuya would put it, _'a bitch to defeat_'.

And low and behold, she thought with ground teeth. There he went, summoning it right now. "I sacrifice the two Dragonewts to summon this," Willa announced, the mist-dragons vanishing in a swirl as Blue-Eye's attack vanished into the fog. "The White Horn Dragon!" SHIT. "You know this effect right?" the American asked, already catching the slight change in his opponent's expression. "White Horn absorbs any attack to add it to its own for one turn... Which means White Horn's power is above yours now!" he laughed. "So! Lets see how you feel against your own dragon's fire power... WHITE HORN," Willa ordered, the Blue-Eyes behind his opponent snarling as its flames gathered on the red-scaled monster's horn. "Let's show our opponent what it means to REALLY be prepared! Lets show him," he continued, Seto's eyes narrowing further, "Just how useless it is to put a 'trophy card' in a professional deck..!" T- Tro...

TROPHY! "That- is- it," she hissed, before raising her voice to a level Willa would more than easily hear. "Enough with the nonsense! My deck is worth far more than the pennies yours is," Seto spat. "And Blue-Eyes is a monster that you obviously know nothing about!"

"Hnhnhnhn... Even if what I say is nonsense," her opponent countered, "The attack still stands! I might not have been able to counter an attack from you... But he still has your dragon's power this turn! SO!" he laughed, "Lets go... White Horn attacks, with the combined power of it and your dragon! HORN DRIVE," Willa shouted, the beam of light shooting from his dragon's horn. "Now!"

"ACTIVATE TRAP," she responded with ease, Blue-Eyes rearing on her hind legs to catch and inhale the entirety of the flames that had rebounded against her. "The Mechanical Magic Mirror!"

"The- WHAT?" As Willa paled she merely continued, explaining the card as she went.

"I choose one card in your graveyard," she stated clearly, "And take its ability for this turn... And the card I choose is Synchronic Ability; which means that your White Horn's effect," Seto snarled, "Becomes Blue-Eyes- His 'absorbed' power is taken back and added to my dragon's own... Until the end of my turn," she added, her opponent left with no choice but to let time pass until his own passed over. Fifty two hundred returned to 22...

While that same 5200 was added to Blue-Eyes' own three thousand. Her attack power now amounted to eight thousand and two hundred points-

More than enough for a one turn kill. "Last turn Willa!" she called, her dragon's cheeks almost puffed as her mouth glowed with the stolen power. "Now... Here's the TRUE attack! SHINING BURST!"

The fires were launched forward, and the field was bathed in light...

_-TSSSSHTT!-BROUMMM_

The hologram didn't stand a chance.

It shattered into dust and with it Blue-Eyes began to do the same, the duel finally over. Holograms vanished from sight, and with one final look toward her dragon the monster seemed to give a singing cry. "_Rrrrrroounnnnnnnnn..._"One low growl...

Before it was gone. "Learn from this," Seto snarled, walking forward as her disk locked and snapped back into a dormant state. "No matter what I face... Blue-Eyes remains the ultimate beast- And so long as the dragon stands, so do I." End of story, she thought to herself, continuing her walk as the smoke and sparks from the battle prior continued to fade.

"Heh..." She paused, nonetheless continuing to move past the young man while his attention was on the ground. "Hehehehehe... Strong dragon," Willa laughed, slowly standing as he pulled something out of his back pocket. "Well... Here's the card to the door then," he began, only to jump as the sound of an opening door met the air.

"Nii-sama!" Mokuka said cheerily, slate in hand as he looked to his sister. "I got through! We'll have to use the slate at each door that's locked, but the security system surrounding it is at least down now. After you~"

"Hnhnhn... As expected," Seto complimented, stepping forward with a smile. "Good job."

"W-What..." The pair stopped in the doorway, looking back as Willa stared. "Wait... You don't need a key card?"

Mokuba snorted immediately- and not surprising either, given the question. "Nii-sama and I redesigned the entire security system after Duelist Kingdom," he laughed, shaking his head with an almost mocking smirk. "You think changing the key code can keep us out? I actually had to wait for you guys!" Ah- that was a little far (though he had a point...)...

"What... But then... What was that?" the American protested, gesturing back behind him. "What was that duel just now!"

Hmmm? "That?" Seto chuckled, narrowed eyes seeming somewhat less stony as Mokuba walked on ahead. "A 'Warm-Up'. You could say," she added, turning back to walk inside, "That it was even for 'fun'. Now then..."

To find Tenma.


	6. Milchamah

_Listen close dear children to this story I am about to share. The creatures of Darkness' design were powerful, but they followed rather roughly a hierarchy of sorts. A chain of command if you will. The Behemoth would have to strike last, for as powerful as he was, he was vengeance and rage. He was an emotion that could not exist until harm had already been done, and this they learned through their own pain. The Leviathan was second for he was despair and grief, the precursor to the war that would follow, and the descendant of whatever misfortune would send all events into motion. But before anything could happen children, there would have to be a trigger. Something that could spawn those emotions regardless of the Light within the world. _

_Enter the being of FEAR. _

_The shadowed beast created by darkness last and intended to strike first. ZIZ- He who takes a thousand faces, each with the purpose of instilling terror! The power Ziz held was rooted in the fear of the people of light. In the beginning you see, Ziz was not at all powerful. Even the tiniest of animals could have destroyed him. But that animal would only lash out in fear, with no more thought than to be rid of the source... _

_So by the time it worked up enough energy to strike, Ziz would be as powerful as a man. And it would swallow the first animal that met it whole, absorbing its image for use in another time, taking its power as his own. For Ziz had no face to call his own, young children. He was trapped, encased in shadows until he resembled nothing more than a sphere. And within that sphere... Deep inside its folds, Ziz reeked of death. The creature Ziz once was had been after all in his base form, near death when Darkness overtook him. _

_And by the time Ziz could amount power by simply standing in the shadows, that creature had rotted within its own darkness to nothing more than an accursed skeleton... A creature with blanched and brittle bone and not even a name. Not that any could see. For indeed anything that Ziz felt confident enough to encounter while in this weakened form would never see anything else again. _

_As a being of Fear, Ziz was an odd creature. While the Behemoth revelled in destruction, and the Leviathan in conflict between despaired pawns, Ziz' presence alone was enough to attain power. He did not need to fight... Nor even speak. He merely copied the forms of those he met, and when the time was right... _

_Allowed their fear to destroy themselves. _

_With one small monster, one demon of fragmented power, the entirety of the ancient world from which I come from was sent to ruin. Children were left huddling in their homes as fathers and mothers both went to war. Animals snarled at every turn and corner, the skies darkened to a pitch black... And in the end all that the people succeeded in was killing each other. What was once paradise created with Light in mind was now a hell on earth, slowly becoming a realm meant for Darkness. At this time not a single warrior could stand before Ziz. Nor the most powerful of beasts, of mages, of even dragons... _

_Light herself was forced to combat Ziz directly, drawing the demon into combat herself- and from the lands below her people watched, their fear unknowingly aiding the demon in overpowering their creator. Light took the form of a creature of the seas, hoping to drown the demon in her waters, coiling around her target and gripping the monster with iron claws- Ziz mirrored her form, movements perfectly balanced with her own and tangling around her own form instead. _

_So she took the form of a mighty and armored warrior, pounding the earth in her rarely experienced rage and blasting the demon with fires. But with the image of her own power and the power of fear on his side Ziz's identical shape tore right through it. Fearing for the safety of her lands and people, Light finally fled upward into the sky, in the shape of a magnificent winged God... _

_Only for Ziz to follow her in every way, the shadowed replication sending still more fear into the hearts of those beneath them. It was clear to Light now. For her to defeat this being she would have to become something that even fear was incapable of mimicking completely, something that no demon could hope to survive-_

_ **So she split herself into three...** _

* * *

The room he sat in was dark and almost completely so. The only light there was came from the dull screens before him, illuminating his face in almost harsh contrast to the perpetual shadow around him. There was a single card on the desk beside him- 'Avatar'. A card with a single inky black sphere, the faint outline of a skeleton visible inside if one looked close enough. Try as he might he found himself unable to simply place it in his pocket, or in a drawer for the moment now. It was as though the card was... Compelling him. Reminding him that the final phase had yet to finish, that he must protect the card until then or else-!

Yakou stared dully at the screens before him, his mind seemingly elsewhere as he watched over the video feed with these chaotic thoughts on his mind. He didn't hear anything else, moving for nothing... It was this that seemed to give the shadow behind him the confidence to move forward, unseen by the figure before him. A tall shadow- taller than Yakou at least- wearing a vest and sunglasses despite the darkness. In the silence, the shadow's hand reached forward... Slowly illuminated by the light of the screens, revealed as it extended toward the card-

"Don't touch that," Yakou hissed, voice low as the man was pulled from his daze.

Though he didn't move the hand froze, pulling back from whence it came. "What... Think I'm going to do something 'funny'?" the shadow responded, chuckling darkly as the two continued speaking to each other in English as opposed to Japanese. "Come on... What's the worst I could do?"

Yakou snorted- those words alone would drive suspicion into anyone's heart, particularly from this person. "Hn! I know your thoughts," he warned, turning to face the shadow that was behind him. "And I know you're quick to take what's in front of you- if I don't stop you quick enough you'll have my cards and a plane ticket before I can blink."

The shadow laughed, a harsh barking howl that seemed more of a coughing sound than anything else. "Hahaha! Know me that well do you?" he cackled. "Then again... You brought me back to life, didn't you. It's only natural you know me that well," he continued. "Mister 'Ja-Shin'... That reminds me," he drawled, cracking his neck and grinning. "It looks to me as though you're fighting a losing battle. One, two... Eight duelists, not counting your 'dear brother'. Hnhnhnhnhn... There's only five left. I'm almost sorry for you!"

"Don't lie," Yakou responded coldly. "You could care less what happens here so long as you get your pathetic idea of revenge over with."

"Aw... I wouldn't call it 'pathetic'," the man sneered in response. "Not compared to you... With your crumbling tower..."

"Hardly," Tenma whispered, picking 'Avatar' up from the table as he turned. "I know exactly what I'm doing... And Mutou Yugi and his friends are only walking deeper into my trap." The one before him chuckled and Yakou made to walk past, paying him no mind.

"Whatever you say," the shadow laughed, fingering the shades beneath his flag-patterned bandanna. "Whatever you say..."

* * *

Footsteps clacked along a polished floor as they walked, pausing only to quickly connect Mokuba's slate to whatever door was in their way and move on. So far there had been no resistance to their efforts other than this. If anything resistance would have left her in a better mood.

At least then there would be more of a target for her (put bluntly and crudely) 'Rage'. But with nothing but empty halls she had nothing to think about but how absolutely infuriated Tenma's behaviour made her. "What the heck is this?" Mokuba growled as they walked, disconnecting the slate from the next door while it opened. "Aside from that duelist there's no one here! I know the building was apparently cleared," he went on, "But there's no sign of him!" Him being 'Tenma' obviously.

But before Seto could even respond chuckling came over the air, the familiar sound crackling as a hologram appeared from above. "Hnhnhnhn..." Well well- Speak of the devil. "I thought you'd be here," Tenma sneered, eyes narrowing from where his hologram sat in midair. "'Kaiba Seto'..."

"You..."

"Coward!" Mokuba shouted, foot slamming his foot on the ground. "Appearing as a hologram again!" Her words exactly, but to the point now...

"I've returned to this building," Seto hissed with a stiff tone. "And we can 'talk' about how I'm dealing with your actions later. But I'm _ordering_ you to leave this building Tenma... And NOW!"

Tenma merely smirked, shaking his head. "I refuse," he said almost cheekily. "You and I both know it's an inexcusable act... But I'm still not leaving," he chuckled, somehow taking the words that even a stubborn child would use and giving it the severe tone of a businessman without losing face. "Besides," he went on, body almost shaking despite the hologram's apparent sturdiness. "The final phase of my R.A. Project is already underway," he sighed, "So why would I stop now?" R.A...?

What the hell... "What are you planning Tenma?" she barked, fists clenched and at her sides. "What is this so-called project you've stolen MY computer for?"

"Hnhnhn..." And for the love of everything, stop laughing now. "Partially personal," he said calmly, before his expression twisted into a mad and wide-eyed grin. "But also to give Mutou Yugi the most humiliating... Crushing... And despairing defeat in the existence of this world..." Yugi! That-

He'd never even met Tenma, so how-! "What the hell does Yugi have to do with YOU!"

"The same thing he does to you of course," he stated, expression dying to a narrowed glare. "To you and me Mutou Yugi is, and always will be a bitter. Enemy." …

What.

"You know 'Seto'," What- Did he just use her first name! WHAT- "I admire you." Se-

Seriously what. What the hell was he talking about!

"You and I... We both grew up in similar situations." She doubted this. "When I was young, my brother and I lost our parents as well... We were left alone, with nothing to our name. But you overcame that, didn't you?" he continued on, voice again sinking into a crazed tone. "You fought... And with time gained riches and honor from nothing..." That...

...She would hardly call the process taken to get here 'honorable'...

But self-deprecating thoughts would have to wait- Tenma wasn't done. "There is only one blemish on your seemingly perfect existence now," Tenma announced seriously, looking down with what could even be called dead eyes. "Mutou Yugi... Someone who did the same to me." But how, he'd have never met- "As a person of similar circumstance to mine," Tenma drawled, leaning back on his 'invisible' seat, "I was hoping we could even work together on this-"

Bullshit bullshit _bullshit_! "What the hell do you think you're even saying! YOU'RE ALREADY OCCUPYING THIS BUILDING!"

"Well then don't interrupt and we'll all be 'square' won't we?" he laughed, eyes again gleaming with madness. She found herself falling silent with those words, something that likely even shocked her brother. Possibly.

Maybe. Who knew- she didn't even know herself. But what she did know...

"...Are you really him?" she asked clearly, expression cold. "'Yakou Tenma'?" Tenma's expression seemed to waver, even growing soft and she continued. "During those meetings and discussions here concerning the Duel-Disk system, I remember you being suspiciously curious about those workings... But even this," she continued, "Is unlike the one I saw then. Quiet... Observant... As I recall," she said somewhat louder, "You have a twin brother, Gekkou. Even quieter than you, I almost missed him completely last time we met! I wonder," she hissed, narrowing her eyes, "Just why that was..."

The hologram above her snapped, a choked and strangled cry escaping him. His hands flew toward his head, holding it as his entire body stiffened. "Gekkou's circumstances," he forced out with a loud snarl, "Are of no concern to you!" No concern... And why was that? "Noisy thoughts," he whispered to himself, cradling his head. "So noisy... So..."

. . .

"What the h... What's going on?" Mokuba whispered uneasily, Seto herself too shocked to speak. "What's happening!"

Tenma's hologram was beginning to fade erratically, with no discernible pattern as he fell backward. "Gekkou... Lost to Yugi," he cried to himself, not longer appearing to address those below. "It still worked though, it still... It's no use," he assured himself, "It's all fine!" 'All fine', what on earth was he talking about! "And of course," Of course? "That man will be punished by him," he whispered, "By... By..." As Tenma continued to fade, his own smoking form wrapping around his head his eyes widened, sweat covered face looking down in fear. "But I'm the _owner_," he whispered, almost to himself. "The Ja-shin are mine... I'M the owner, I'll punish him... I'll..." Wait...

Wait- "Get back here!" Mokuba shouted, the final shreds of the hologram fading. "HEY! YOU!" What was going on here... What... "Nee-sama!" her brother called, Seto already turning toward the only room capable of displaying the hologram before them. "Nee-sama, what's going on here? What are the 'evil gods'?" As if she knew!

"We need to find out for ourselves," she forced out, storming forward with still clenched fists. "Before it's too late!" As to what 'too late' even was, she didn't know...

But something told her that Willa's earlier statements on Yakou's 'sanity' were more accurate than even he had thought.

* * *

"Yakou and I were orphaned at age eight, taken in by Pegasus-sama approximately two years later," Gekkou was explaining, Yugi and Anzu both walking (for the most part) behind him as he led them toward the next card professor's stop. "It seemed to be a habit of his, looking out for kids like that. He'd visit or gather orphaned children and fund whatever dreams in the Duelist world they had, be it in design, in business... Many of them," he went on, walking up one of the many staircases the building had, "Went on as the top of their classes. And a few, such as myself and my brother, were fortunate enough to become his proteges, his 'sons' if you will. However while I plan on continuing where my 'father' left off," Gekkou continued, "Yakou's idea is far from that. He would have at one time though," he said softly. "Before Pegasus-sama died he was kind, placid... Some even called him weak. But... When he found Pegasus-sama's body he secluded himself in his room for a number of weeks, conducting research."

"...Research?" Yugi questioned, large eyes showing curiosity despite the situation they were in. As it had turned out no one had been able to move until Yugi took his other half's place- the 'Other Yugi' had been completely immobilized by his shock, and still was. "What kind of research?"

Gekkou frowned, eyes dimming more than they already had. "At one point, I assumed it was 'Fringe' science. Things that seem impossible but, when it comes to the end are in fact scientifically probable at their very base. But what Yakou is doing would not even be classified as that. You might as well call it 'Mystic Science'," he snorted. "A modern day study on magic. It almost makes me wish I'd paid more attention to it before in fact..." The man sighed, before going on. "At least maybe then I'd have a bigger idea of what was going on... Yakou, from what I can tell, was trying to explain the energies behind the Millennium Items, starting with and focusing on the Millennium Eye," he explained somewhat loudly as he ran up the stairs. "During research he found three 'beta' cards that Pegasus had started but failed to finish having deemed them 'unsafe' despite apparently being nothing but paper..."

The other two traded looks a moment, running or floating behind as Gekkou continued to talk.

"Once my brother found those cards he immediately set to work on creating final versions of them. From what I know of them they bear tremendous power, more so than even the Egyptian Gods that Pegasus-sama created and locked away. But as a result they bear with them a curse... A dark curse, that is for sure. The final thing that our teacher warned us about when he locked them away was that they were to never be named. They would, at the most, be 'evil gods'- nothing more nothing less, they were to remain nameless and thereby powerless. But the cards have changed Yakou," he lamented. "His desires were twisted by those cards and in the end he fueled its power, giving them names... He's become completely devoted to 'their' project, to the revival of-"

"Gekkou-san," Yugi said hesitantly, swallowing back fear. "These 'nameless evil gods'... You speak about them as though they have power without even being summoned, from within the cards... But..." But that couldn't be...

It was easy to accept they existed, but even the Gods themselves could do no more than slowly announce their presence from the hand!

"Your brother said they were using Anzu's body to bring back Pegasus," he went on, "But what does that have to do with this, and why would they use her body!"

Gekkou blinked, turning to the two to pause again. For a moment, he seemed unable to even speak- however he quickly snapped himself from his daze. "...If it is her life you're worried about there is still time. If we hurry, and we shut down the system, then the project fails- she'll be returned to her body. There's still hope. But..." He looked over Anzu, shaking his head. "While I was under Yakou's control, I might have heard the reasons. 'Three requirements', he said... One, the body must me mentally and physically sound," he began, Anzu muttering something under her breath while the man continued. "Two... They can't be a duelist. Not one with a physical deck anyway- Duelists of this generation have an instinct of sorts... Their souls are stronger, more prepared for attack. The hardcore duelists, those with disks and decks in particular, are the strongest, they're prepared for a challenge from anywhere really... At least," he muttered, "That's what I gathered the reasoning for it to be. But there was one final, one very personal reason," Gekkou warned, "And that was the fact that it needed to be someone close to Yugi. Someone close enough that their disappearance alone would shatter his very soul. And so, Mazaki Anzu, you were elected for the task..." That...

That was the reason? Silence came over the empty stairwell, and while Yugi seemed to fall into a state almost similar to the other half that was sitting within the back of his mind, Anzu was even more visibly affected. "_Why... Why does it have to be someone close to YUGI?_" she shouted, shaking her head. "_All of these reasons... My mind... Is not stable!_" she cried, Yugi biting his lip. "_I speak in separate languages that I shouldn't even know, without even meaning it! If I had... Anyone 'diagnose' me..._" The woman shook her head, moving on. "_And 'not a duelist'..? Someone without an 'active' deck? How would you decide that? Whether or not I duel professionally, whether I've dueled recently, that shouldn't even make a difference! More than anything I know the kinds of things that can happen to a soul, AND the mind, and I will fight until my last BREATH to keep that from happening! ...But this?_" Gekkou continued to stare, and the holographic ghost shook her head, expression caught between incredulity and rage both. "_This person has nothing. To do. With Yugi!_" she snarled, voice almost seeming to rumble through the hologram much to the unease of the others. "_Absolutely nothing... So why..._"

"That's impossible." Yugi and Anzu froze even further, shaking in their places with Gekkou's response. "I don't believe all of it myself... But Yakou... Yakou was told specifically by an eyewitness inside the castle that Mutou Yugi stole Pegasus-sama's Millennium Eye. And in addition," he said gravely, Yugi already growing pale. "MURDERED-"

"_No..._" She shook her head, Yugi's eyes filling with nothing but complete and utter shock. "_That's impossible, no... Who would even SAY that?_" she protested. "_Who... How could anyone..._"

"The eyewitness' name was Keith Howard," Gekkou told them, walking up the stairs of the open room. "You would know him as 'Bandit Keith', former champion of-"

"-The U-S-OF-A!" A loud shout came from the other end of the staircase, high on the balcony-like floor that oversaw their steps. As the others turned, silent, the man standing there continued to cackle at this fact, before going on. "But don't think I won't be reclaiming that title soon enough... Of course," he went on, taking his shades off with a grin. "It sure as fucking hell took you long enough to get here... And you! Gekkou!" The man tensed, and Keith continued to laugh. "Hehehehehe... Sly way to get ahead there... Got you all the way to me!"

"_Th... That..._"

"Bandit..."

Though the shirt he wore had longer sleeves than last they'd seen him it was most definitely him. A little gaunter than before but undoubtedly Keith. His messy hair hung over his eyes from where it wasn't covered by his bandana, and with a low chuckle he stared across to the three heading toward him. "It's been a damn long time, hasn't it 'Yugi'? Course, I can sympathize with you... With an appearance like that, I'd be hiding my woman too, HAHAHAHAAA!"

"_Why you filthy, SON OF A-_"

"KEITH!" Gekkou snarled, cutting Anzu's almost uncharacteristic shouts short. "Why did you lie to Yakou about Pegasus-sama? Why did you tell him that Yugi killed him?"

"What, that?" The blond snorted. "Pah! Didn't say any shit like that, that's different... I wonder, that 'Joey' start those rumors up?" WH-

That lying-

"Well... What can I say?" he laughed, shrugging. "I saw the body, figured out who was in the tournament... And a few hours later I called 'Yakou-chan' before telling him everything was ready!"

"_WHAT-_"

"Now isn't the time!" Yugi managed to shout, running toward the other side of the railing. "Remember? And you," he continued, "Bandit Keith! Are you the Card Professor for this block?"

Before Gekkou could do more than shake his head Keigh again laughed, going so far as to spit at the ground beside him. "Pheh! You're jumping way to fast there shorty..." SHORTY! "The one you're looking for is this guy! The one who is..._ Possibly_... Almost equal to me," he decided, the others only now spotting the second man in the room.

"...Keith," the man growled, face forced into an exasperated 'smile'. "Your lies are complete shit..." He stood, before continuing. "Name's Ted Banias," he growled, voice heavily accented. "The guy with the key for this block. And you," he continued, tone obviously linking his words to the one behind him. "If you're going to stand there, do something useful."

"Well come on, I paid my debt unlike someone here," Keith chuckled. "All I have to do is stand guard, I'm free until all of you brats are knocked out! Hehehehehe..."

"Hn. Expected from someone who does nothing but trick people into doing what he wants..."

"OI, what was that..!"

Yugi clenched his fists as he dully watched the scene before him, eyes flicking toward the door on the opposite end of the room. His other-self was still in shock over what had happened to Anzu before- that much was clear. He was silent as the grave his grandfather likely found the puzzle in, and when the boy reached for his presence he was met with cold shivers and grief. He was tired as well- exhausted he would imagine, going through duel after duel in such a short span on top of everything. On top of Anzu, on top of the news of what was happening to Jonouchi and even the effects of the 'Ja-shin' in general...

The other him wasn't in any condition to fight he decided, clicking the duel-disk into place and reaching into the pocket where his own deck sat. So this one was his! "Alright then," he called out, "I'll-"

A hand snapped in front of him, Gekkou looking down with broken eyes. "...Yugi-san," he asked, bowing his head. "Leave this one to me please. And if I may ask just one thing, allow me to help you to stop my brother's foolish plan."

"W... G-Gekkou-kun... You..."

"_You'll do that for..._"

"Pffft-haHAHAHA!" They looked back to the front, eyes narrowing darkly as the American before them grinned. "Oii oii.. Gekkou!" Keith laughed, the red-head beside him rubbing his head in annoyance. "You're doing this for your rival? Come on man, turning against your brother? And YUGI!" he howled. "For all you know this guy's about to screw you over, he's your target's big brother!"

“...Yeah," Yugi said quietly, looking up at the fairly tall man beside him. "He is... ...But that just makes me believe in him more!" he continued with a shout and a nod. "Gekkou-kun!"

"Thank you," he said quickly, stepping forward. "I won't fail you, believe me..."

"Jesus, you beat the fucker and then hand him the next duel on a silver platter..."

Ted was probably very much used to ignoring the man behind him- he stood up and walked forward, his own duel disk already primed for battle as he took position across from his opponent. "Let's get going then," he called out, Yugi finally identifying the accent he was hearing as an almost stereotypical southern drawl.

"LET'S DUEL!"

"I'll go first!" Ted announced, the cards almost floating into his hand with the speed he drew them with. "I'll set one card face down," he began, setting the card before mimicking the motion on top of the hologram itself, "And summon the Spike Rhinoceros! Turn end," he finished, the thorned armor of the anthro-beast shimmering before them. Gekkou merely nodded, drawing his next card...

And in an instant his quiet demeanor became replaced with something far more severe. "My turn!" he announced, voice pealing through the room. "First... Graceful Charity," he began, the card's image glistening on the field. Discard two cards, draw two, Yugi mentally muttered, the spell card's image quickly fading as the effects took hold. It was a fairly basic card...

But why use it so soon into the match? Another card appeared before him following the spell's activation, instantly crouched down with a book in her arms. The summoned elf stared forward with glassy eyes, hair trailing down her back as goggles hung over her brow.

"Following that," Gekkou had shouted, "I summon the Learning Elf in defense mode! In addition I set two cards face down," he added, the holograms appearing before him with a flash. "That ends my turn!"

"Ffft.. THAT'S your monster?" Ted snorted, shaking his head. "An elf like that? Ghah_ahaAA_! Oi, Keith!" he called out, the blond giving a snort of recognition from the side. "This really the guy that Pegasus favored over Yakou? Really?"

The American nodded. "Heh! Can't say I didn't expect it," he chuckled. "But would you believe what the others were saying? That Pegasus called this guy 'Perfect', what a joke!"

"Perfect? Ghahaha!" Stop laughing already... "That's great! Well... Seeing how you're an obvious amateur, I'll take my turn!" Ted decided with a grin. "I'll set another card first... And then summon the Speed Jaguar!" he shouted, the curvy leopard warrior appearing with a blade almost similar to the Panther Warrior's own. Idly, Yugi couldn't help but notice the Jaguar's description; double the damage of an attack when damage is inflicted... With an attack power of 1000, direct attack could be devastating.

But the traps Gekkou had set would obviously prevent that much. ...Right?

From across the one who was currently defending their cause Ted was grinning with enough malice to put even Keith to shame. "Lets see what kind of strategy the 'perfect duelist' has forged!" he laughed, cackling as he tapped the buttons on his disk. "I enter the battle phase and attack!"

"G- Trap activate," Gekkou countered. "Mirror Barrier- encasing the Learning Elf for three turns and-"

"Not so fast," Ted laughed. "I'm chaining your trap to this! Hand-to-Hand combat! Cancelling all traps and spells activated in this phase!" Oh no! "So! Spike Rhinoceros!" he ordered, "Attack the Learning Elf.. .SHOULDER PIERCE!" The horns gouged the elf easily, and as the rhino retreated the hologram shattered to pieces. Right behind it however, the Jaguar was launching her own attack. "Next up," Ted shouted, "Speed Jaguar... Direct attack! DOUBLE SABRE SLASH!"

"NGG_GH_-" As Gekkou stumbled under the force of the blow his opponent continued to laugh, shaking the hair from his face while his monsters returned to his side of the field.

"HahaHAAA!" Wisps of smoke still hovered over where Gekkou was struck, and Ted continued to howl with laughter. "What's the matter huh? Feeling sore?"

The man said nothing, merely drawing a card. "Learning Elf gives me one card when she's defeated," he said plainly, Ted snorting from across him.

"Pf! That card'll be your defense monster for next time... Count on that!" Still Gekkou ignored his words, merely staring blankly. "I end my turn for now," Ted continued. "Good luck getting out of this..."

"My turn," Gekkou responded quietly, drawing his next card to carefully replace it with another in his hand. "And once again, the spell Graceful Charity." Wh...

What! Even Keith looked up at that one, sunglasses half falling from his stupefied face while Ted balked. Again..? Gekkou silently did as the card ordered and the others stared, swallowing. "Hey hey hey," Ted muttered, shaking his head with an almost nervous laugh. "What's in your deck there pal, throw-away cards? What's your deal!" This...

Was he really having so much trouble with his hand that he had to do this? Really? "Hnhnhn... Man... Yugi!" Keith laughed from the side. "This is the guy you're placing your faith in? You don't think it's obvious what he's doing?" Gekkou remained silent, back turned to Yugi and Anzu both as Keith went on. "Such a crappy hand... It's obviously fake! He's losing on purpose!" he sneered, shaking his head. "So that his little twin brother's plan will make it through no problem... With nothing for you to say about it..."

Still, Gekkou was silent, seemingly frozen a moment before finally taking a few cards from his hand to speak. "...I set another pair of cards face down," he stated flatly, eyes shadowed by his hair. "Next... I summon the Thorough-bred elf in attack mode," he cried, regaining his confident tone. The muscled elf hovered in place, and as another card flipped upward a sword appeared in his hands. "And before I attack, I equip him with my first face down card... The Spirit Slayer! Raising his power to 23-hundred..."

"Oh..." Ted stared a moment, smirk unchanging. "Finally summoned a real monster did you..."

His opponent refused to acknowledge the words. "GO!" he ordered. "Thorough-bred Elf... Attack the Speed Jaguar!"

"Hehehe... GOTCHA!" the red-head laughed. "Activate trap... Curse of Darkness!"

As the Elf raised its blade chains shot from invisible points in the sky, wrapping completely around the blade and body. Try as the elf might it could not move, and the hologram for the Jaguar remained untouched. The attack was cancelled, something that Ted himself announced just now...

And Keith continued to laugh. "Still sure you want to do this?" he sneered, Yugi doing his best to drown the blond's words out. "It's getting more and more suspicious... You still want to believe in this guy?"

"Stop trying to convince me otherwise," he said curtly, not even looking toward the American. "It's useless- I decided long ago whose words I would believe."

"Ph..." The man paused, only to break his silence with an even louder laugh. "GHAHAH_AHAH_! You stubborn little bastard! Gekkou could win or lose, but you won't accept that he's already picked to go down like a little shit! HAHAHAHA!"

"My turn!" Ted howled, joining Keith in laughter despite earlier bickering. "And it all ends now! I offer the Jaguar and Rhinoceros as sacrifices, while activating this!" he shouted, setting card after card on the field as an enormous and mutated beast crackled behind him. "Yaku Gui! Giving half the attack and defense of a sacrifice as bonus to my summoned monster, while giving him a bonus effect... And the monster I summon," he roared, the gorilla-like lion snatching both sacrificed monsters from the ground, "IS THE ASSAULT LION!" A snarling and synthesized roar tore through the air, freezing the others in place. "Now... Eat the Speed Jaguar!" he ordered, the rhino's hologram snapping out of sight as the other was tossed into the Lion's mouth. "Gaining 500 attack points on top of the effect that'll kill YOU! You're about to take sixty-two hundred points in one shot!" he laughed, the hologram of his monster standing obediently behind him. "So have fun dodging this!" No... "The finishing blow..." No! "ASSAULT LION!" Ted roared. "ATTACK THE THOROUGH-BRED ELF!" NO!

"Trap activate," Gekkou swiftly announced, card flying upward as the Lion's fist collided with the hologram. "Amulet of Kindness- I take no battle damage this turn!" He said that, but as the monster was divided into shattered light with all but the sole card on his field... "N... N_ghh_..."

"Ffft... Damn," his opponent chuckled, shaking his head. "You got out of that by the skin of your teeth didn't you..." And thank god for that, Yugi thought to himself with a swallow. He could use the next turn to turn this all around now. But...

With a monster this strong... "My turn," Gekkou said quietly, looking over his hand shortly after Ted's announcement to end his own. And for a number of moments as they looked over the field, he was silent. He stood, looking over his field and at the cards in his hands in silence...

"What's wrong?" Ted taunted, smirk twisting into a cheshire worthy grin. "Not summoning a monster?" Ooogh... And what he wouldn't bet Ted had a stop defense or...

Or...

Gekkou was still silent Yugi realized, and with a swallow he found himself pale faced and shuddering with the worst thoughts on his mind. "G... Gekkou-kun?" he asked hesitantly, Anzu as well holding her 'breath' if it could be called that. "Gekkou-kun, are you going to..."

"_Are you going to summon..._" More silence.

The time was ticking down for his turn and finally Gekkou spoke. "Right now in my hand," he said clearly, "There are no monsters." No...

No mons...

Again silence prevailed, gobsmacked expressions coming over the crowd before their opponents grinned. "Hahah... HAHAH_AHAHAA_! Now THAT!" Ted howled, Keith doubled over with laughter "Is some SERIOUS hand trouble! HAHAH_AHAHAAAA_!"

"That... That..." No monsters in his hand? Nothing! How was he supposed to... How were they going to... "G-Gekkou-kun..!" How...

"Hnhnhnhn... Exchanging your hand so quick, and you still don't have a monster!" Ted chuckled. "Didn't you think to balance out your deck before?"

"Hehehe... Even I didn't think it'd go this far," Keith laughed from the side, holding his head. "But hey... With this, we mind as well have defeated Yugi right?" he continued viciously. "Once Gekkou's gone, everyone with him is expelled from the building... Huh_uhaHA_! And you really think he's gunning for your side, shorty?"

Again with 'short'! Yugi found himself looking at the ground despite his faith however, before Anzu's presence pulled his attention aside. "_Yugi... This duel..._" She bit her lip, hesitating. "_I- Are you sure-_"

"He's like me I think," he whispered, looking back up to stare at Gekkou. Anzu blinked almost confusedly at that, and he continued. "His relationship with Yakou... It's like me and the 'other me', in the Puzzle. Gekkou-kun," he continued, shaking his head. "I don't know how I do, but I know that he's fighting to free his brother from those Ja-shin. Even if he wasn't fighting for me," he continued louder, "Gekkou-kun won't lose!"

"Pfft... Say what you want," their opponent retorted, "That doesn't change the facts! No shields, no monsters... The only thing you can do is surrender! And are you going to do that?" Ted snarled. "Are you going to end this now?"

"Yes..." What? The others tensed, eyes widening.

"What?"

"This turn is over," Gekkou continued, taking one small step forward as he took a card from his hand. "Because this turn, I DEFEAT YOU."

It was the card he'd drawn from the Learning Elf Yugi realized. One he'd had almost from the beginning. The card that had been there for almost the entire time...

"I activate a spell from my hand," the duelist announced, the hologram shimmering into existence for all to see and read with shock. "ARM'S REINCARNATION!" A...

Arms... The card that brought back Equip spells as monsters, that...

"You fucking idiot," Keith roared from the side, "HE'S GOT AT LEAST THREE IN THERE-"

The field was instantly swarmed with ghostly apparitions, each one with the effects of their cards and a base stat set of 500 over 500. The Spirit Slayer with 1000 attack due to its boost... The Mirror Barrier, who would be immune to attack for three turns regardless... Amulet of Kindness, which wouldn't be damaged regardless, and even two others which had been discarded...

Discarded...

"You've been milling equip spells this entire time... Just for this combo," Ted muttered incredulously, Keith as well glowering from the side. "All this time... Gh... Well that's just great!" he laughed, before shaking himself. "You have a field full of small fry.. But I'll teach you! You think you have a wall of shields?" he snarled, "Well try again! This trap here, on my field now... I'll tell you what it is just to see the look on your face," the man laughed, "...It's stop defense! So it doesn't matter if you have a monster now!" Ted cackled nervously. "The Assault Lion will slaughter you anyway... HAHAHAHAHAAAA! HA_HAHAAAAA_!"

Gekkou remained almost coldly silent, merely tapping the button on his disk. "You won't have until next turn," he said plainly. "Because I told you- it ends now. Let me show you my trap," he continued, those across from him growing white. "The set spell 'Power Connection'- for each monster on my field, other monsters gain a 500 point boost in attack... So from this card alone," he continued sternly, voice steadily growing louder despite the calm tone, "Each of my monsters gain 2000 attack points!"

"W-What..! But that's..." He shook his head, tiny holographic tags briefly appearing on the field to visualize the change in attack power. "That's..."

It was incredible, Yugi thought to himself with wide eyes. Now within one move he would be able to destroy him completely, he would...

"GO!" Gekkou roared. "I enter the battle phase! And first to attack is the Spirit Slayer!" he announced, the blade wielding specter launching forward. "Whose effect brings your Lion's attack down by five hundred!"

As its opponent's power fell just barely beneath his own the sword cut cleanly into the hologram, the monster scattering into pieces. And with the shield down, it only took three other monsters to destroy Ted's points completely...

Leaving him to do nothing but fall to his knees in shock. "These..." He swallowed, the weapon-wielding mists fading from sight as Gekkou stared across the field coldly. "These tactics..."

"You've lost now Banias," Gekkou said coldly, turning to speak with his own allies. "Next time, don't be so quick to judge..." H-Hahh...

They could all do to learn that lesson after this! "Gekkou-kun," Yugi breathed, shaking his head. "Gekkou-kun, you did it!"

"If only because your persistence allowed me to fight," he told him. "...Yugi-san... If you hadn't voiced your beliefs so loudly I probably would have given in." Wh...

That... "...I see," he found himself saying, a smile coming over his face. If Gekkou were to fight with no support... He wouldn't have had the confidence to make those plays. But with the added hope... "Let's battle together from now on, alright?" Yugi told him.

"Alright. Now-"

"You fucking SCREW UP!"

"GGF_FFMGH-_"

_-KIIISH!_

The others jumped and turned to the side as the sound of shattering glass met the air along with a shout. Ted's body crumbled beyond the glass wall that had separated the room from the hallway, and though there were weakened movements that told them he was alive it was obvious that Keith's kick alone had caused intensive damage. "Tch... Fucker can't even do one simple task," the blond snarled, spitting toward where Ted now lay. He stormed forward, pulling the man up by his shirt and continuing. "You... You lost at the KEY FUCKING MOMENT! How the HELL ARE YOU GONNA PAY FOR THIS HUH?" He gave another shake, Ted's head slumped against his chest. "You call yourself a 'Card Professor? Your debt just doubled IDIOT! Thanks for fucking NOTHING!"

There was no response from the man and, seemingly in disgust, Keith tossed him back on the ground. Only a groan told them that he was alive...

And as Keith turned to them Yugi found himself barely able to focus on moving ahead rather than making sure the man was 'alright'. They had to move on.

...Even if it meant leaving their opponents behind in despairing condition. "Give us the key," he demanded, hand held outward as the blond turned to them and sneered. "Or do you plan to fight as well?"

"Hn!" Keith snorted, hands stowed in his pockets. "I don't have any damned keys," he spat, the others briefly paling before he continued. "But you can rest your pathetic heads about it," he laughed, "'Cause I know a 'short cut'. Don't worry about a damn thing," he added, gesturing for them to follow with a dark grin. "I'll lead you straight to Yakou's place..."

With little else to do, the three looked to each other... And followed after the one who had just beaten his so-called ally into a 'sleep'.

* * *

It was a little difficult to tell how long they'd been walking. They'd passed hallway after hallway looking for the next opponent following Mendo, walking up and through stairwell after stairwell...

In fact, they were in a stairwell right now, one locked in completely by walls with a railing down the center. "Man," Katsuya muttered, shaking his head. They'd been quiet for a while- likely because shortly after Seto's jet vanished Mendo had noticed the severed strands of hair stuck to Katsuya's head and started questioning them on it- and had otherwise focused on putting as much distance between them and the last room as possible. "T' think Seto-chan came all th' way here..."

"It is her company," Honda said with a shrug. "Makes sense she'd come back with all this." That was a good point but...

"Yeah... Well. Still weird," he responded, "Seein' her arrive like tha'."

"This because of the dragon?" he asked 'hopefully'.

He turned immediately with a scowl. "Wh- NO!"

"Of course not," Honda muttered sarcastically, "Because seeing a giant holographic dragon blocking your girlfriend's entrance is completely normal." Girl-

(He didn't have an answer and he probably wouldn't get one damn it..!) "Damn it Honda, will you lay off!"

_-tlk_-

-_clunk_

The pair froze, looking upwards as a few clicking and thunking noises came through the air. "Hey," Katsuya whispered, slowly continuing his way upstairs. "You don' think..."

"Next card professor," Honda offered, following beside his friend and silencing his footsteps as best he could. "...Only one way to find out..."

"Ri- Ah-!" As Katsuya turned the corner he blinked, actually pausing in what was supposed to be a 'duelist assault'- around the middle of the hall, pulling a can from a vending machine and staring at them with wide eyes was a young woman likely around their age. She reminded him of Shizuka in fact, at least during her quiet moments; brown hair, small glasses perched on her nose (though he could hardly say Shizuka had glasses any more), and what looked to be a school uniform even. There was also however, a duel disk on her arm...

Which was part of the reason why he instantly found himself pointing toward her as his own disk clicked into place, 'assault' continuing.

"Aha!" he shouted, Honda running up behind him as the blond grinned. "Found yah! You're this block's Card Professor then?"

She seemed to freeze. "N-Nn..." The girl simply stared, Honda raising an eyebrow.

"...Well... She seems... Nice... ...Quiet..."

While the teen continued to look at the girl oddly Katsuya shook his head, smirking. Who cared if she was quiet, she had their next key. "C'mon," Katsuya laughed, already turning on the deck's shuffle option. "Let's du-"

The moment she moved her foot back, he knew what was going to happen. And still he was surprised, if only because of how damn weird it was. "Nh..."

"SHIT!"

"Nh-a_ah_!"

The woman bolted, Katsuya instantly taking off as Honda choked. "Wh- She's running?!" he asked incredulously, frozen in place.

"C'mon Honda, we gotta catch her!"

"W- Right! HEY , WAIT!" he cried, the two both picking up speed as they chased after the girl. "Come on, we just need to duel you!"

If anything she'd picked up speed for that, disappearing around the corner. "Nhh..." Hall, hall, hall...

By the time they got to the girl they could see her frantically clicking the up button on the elevator in the middle of it, fearfully looking over her shoulder at the two.

"Aa_aahh_..!" Honda and Katsuya both stopped, somewhat slouched over as they caught their breath. The girl obviously wasn't running any further now so...

"Hah... H- Damn," Katsuya wheezed, "What th' hell w's that about?"

"Why did you run away?" Honda asked. "I mean... What..."

"I... I'm sorry," the girl hurriedly replied, taking another step back as she bowed. "It... I shouldn't have done that..." Um. Kay, but why- "I'm just... I'm a little afraid of duelists, to tell the truth.."

The two blinked, staring for a moment. "...Afraid." Honda repeated, Katsuya tilting his head.

"Ah... Yeah, hate t' tell y'," he coughed, "But... Y're kinda a duelist yourself. Unless yer holdin' that dueldisk f'r someone and decided t' try it on," Katsuya went on, laughing weakly at his own joke. He was pretty sure that wasn't the case though...

And as the girl shook her head, that made itself obvious. "No... No you're right," she said shakily, "I am... For the time being, I'm actually the duelist in charge of this block," she continued, swallowing. "I... I told them it was impossible," the girl went on, completely flushed in the face, "But they insisted... They said 'it's only as a last resort Reiko, it'll be complete... Completely fine'... I..." Again the girl swallowed, both of those before her blinking owlishly in her direction. Was she having a panic attack or... 'Reiko' abruptly gave a small 'pumped' fist, nodding determinedly. "But... But I'll do my best," she continued loudly, forcing a smile over her face. "Believe me, I'll do the best I can!"

That was great but... This girl wasn't giving off a single competitive vibe damn it... "Listen," Honda sighed, stepping forward. "If you don't want to duel we understand- And believe me," he laughed, sending a look to the blond behind him. "We really understand." (Hey what was with that expression..! "But if you aren't dueling, how about you hand us the key to the next block then," he went on, looking back to Reiko. "We're in a hurry- you'd be doing us all a favor if you just let us past."

"Ah- Very sorry," Reiko responded, shaking her head. "But while I can't speak for your situation I have to refuse. I promised everyone not to let them pass without a fight... So..." So she said she wouldn't duel, but she turned down the option...

...Honorable, he'd give her that he decided, finding a nervous and confused blush on his face as the girl gave a 'reassuring' smile. "H-Hahh..." Though at least he wasn't a cherry like someone beside him...

Oh look Honda, another shot at a date...

Katsuya was quickly elbowed by his beet-red friend when he caught the frown from the blond, Honda coughing as he jerked his head toward the 'opponent'. "J-Jonouchi..! Come on!"

"Righ'!" Better to just leave it be, throw him a line this time... "Okay then!" he shouted, stepping to the side to give plenty of space for the duel. "Let's get th's movin' then! Name's Jonouchi Katsuya," he continued, gesturing to himself with his thumb. "Nice meetin' yah!"

"Ah- Oh! Pleasure to meet you," the girl responded, giving a fairly steep bow much to the others' discomfort. "Kitamori Reiko." This...

This polite attitude was reminding him waaaay too much of Bakura damn it... And she was American? He coughed, nodding as Reiko prepared her own disk. "Okay," he called out. "In tha' case... GO! LET'S DUEL!"

"R-Right!" The cards were drawn immediately, and as he looked over the field he found himself frowning. "Erm... Lets see," Reiko was muttering, looking over each card as she drew it. "This one is... ...Ah, and this one can be used to.. ...Oh, I see..." All that muttering...

"...Is she actually reading the text over to herself?" Honda asked, blinking in slight surprise. "I- I've never seen any of you guys do that to start, is she... Has she even seen her cards before?"

"Fr'm what I can tell," he muttered, a slight feeling on the answer coming to mind, "No... ...Ah... Oi, 'Reiko-chan'!" he called out, the girl snapping up from her cards. "Hey... ...About when did you start playin' Duel Monster's?"

The girl blinked, and for some reason Katsuya could swear he heard the monsters in his hand take in a sudden and tense breath. "Oh... Erm... I think... Oh, about one month I'm pretty sure," she said calmly, a small smile on her face. Oh, alright then, that was-

"Wai- ONE MONTH?" he repeated, choking on his own words. Reiko immediately jumped, pulling back with a shout.

"H-Huaah! I'm sorry!" Sorry! She didn't even do anything, she-

"N-No, it... It's fine," he said with a swallow. "Jus'... How th' hell did you become a Card Professor in one month..."

The girl blinked. "Erm... How... I... I suppose it was an accident really," she admitted. "My grandmother, she had a few people test me after I beat her... Erm..." Y-Yikes...

If she was seriously that good in one month...

"Ah... If I could," Reiko asked, Katsuya snapping himself from somewhat fearfilled thoughts. "I'd like a few more moments to read my cards... Please, you take the first move." S-sure lady...

But what the hell? "Alrigh'," he decided, pulling a card from his hand. "I'll go then! First, one card face down," the blond announced, blank stone tablet rising up to his side as usual. "An' after tha'... Th' Alligator Sword!"

As it always had, the tablet rose, thick lines carving their way over the stone surface. And as it always had smoke filled the cracks, making way for the monster depicted to step forward. And, as always... "_hey th... tsuya-jun..._" Katsuya froze for a moment, staring at the monster before him. That...

Was not a 'typical' entry. It was like a whisper. He'd only heard parts of the alligator's words but-

"Gator?" As Reiko continued to look over her cards, having missed Katsuya's words, the Alligator frowned.

_"I said 'hey there, Katsuya-jun! 'S do this!' ...You distracted man?_" With the words as clear as they possibly could be once again he hurriedly shook his head.

"No... No I'm fine I-" He chocked somewhat, turning back to the field. "End turn!" the blond shouted, trying to put the event out of mind. "Go for it, Reiko-chan!"

"Ah- My turn," she repeated, before nodding. "R-Right then... Draw!" she first called out, taking the card and carefully looking it over before she placed it in her hand. "I summon this monster," she announced, a short, almost stocky tablet coming up at her side. "The Puppet Pawn in defense mode!" The creature that carved itself into the stone was fairly simple in appearance; nothing but a round shield, a stubby sword, and rounded, simplistic limbs. Nothing the Alligator couldn't easily handle though he decided as the numbers came to mind. "Erm..." ...Probably... "And... Set two face down cards," Reiko decided, the blank stone coming up to her side. "T-That will be all, if you please!"

S-Stop being so polite... "N... My turn," he decided, eyeing the blank tablets a moment as he drew his card. Pay it no mind for now he decided. There was a reason Reiko was on the defensive and it probably wasn't to lure him into a trap. "First, I'll summon this one," he announced, a tablet rising with his words as the card was set on the field. "Little Winguard!"

"_Hah!_" The small cape-covered monster charged forth from the stone, turning to tip her hat to her summoner. "_Glad to see you're... righ... ...suya!_" S-Say what? Did the Winguard's voice just...

Vanish?! Again Katsuya found himself shaking it off, doing his best to ignore the fact that the voices of his monsters were fading. It was disconcerting, true...

But for now, there was a fight to be had. Whatever this was would have to stop right? As it was he could only hope...

"We'll enter th' battle phase right off th' bat!" the blond decided, pointing the monsters forward and nodding. "Let's go..! ATTACK!"

"E- Ahh... Trap activate!" Reiko countered in panic. "Friendly Fire!" Crap. Saw that one coming...

The stone instantly carved and crumbled into dust, flying into the monster's eyes before the image could even be seen. Briefly they both stumbled, blindly wiping the dust from their eyes and attempting to find their target again. Soon enough however their blades were turned on the other, and they charged. "_HHHAAAAAHHH!_" Aaaaack...

"_GHHHAAAAHH..!_" Damn it! Figured he'd have to use this!

"Counter," Katsuya announced, throwing a hand forward as his own tablet began to glow. "Dr'matic Rescue!" Ropes tore forth from the stone, and just as the Alligator Sword's blade lowered toward the Winguard's the smaller was pulled right back into his hand, the monster itself surrounded by coils and pulled into the rock. "Th' battle phase ends, an' Winguard is sent back t' my hand... And, one more time," he continued, the card remaining where it was as Winguard pulled herself confusedly from her own stone, "Summon th' little Winguard!" Phew!

Barely avoided getting them both killed on that one...

"Man..." He laughed, shaking his head. "Not bad, 'Reiko-chan'..! It's hard t' believe you started jus' a month ago!"

"_Yeah_," Alligator muttered with a swallow, "_But her monsters aren't too pleased..._" What was that? Wait what? Why would they...

Reiko giggled somewhat, blushing from behind her hand. "Th-thanks," she managed to laugh, looking away. "I... ...Oh!" The girl jumped, hurriedly clicking one of the buttons on her disk. "I almost forgot... I activate my other trap card," she announced, her opponent blinking confusedly. "Battlefield Tradgedy!" W-WHAT- "Erm... It says, 'When a player battles in their turn, they must send five cards from their deck to their graveyard.'" He knew that! Ah-

But since it was this turn... "S-Shiiiit," he muttered, doing as the now active stone 'ordered' with a wince. "Five cards righ' off th' bat..." There it went then... "Tha's harsh... Well." Katsuya sighed, looking forward again. "Turn end- your move, Reiko-chan."

"R-Right then," the girl responded. "My turn- draw!" She paused a moment as she put the card in her hand, blinking. "Oh... This is... N-hn!" She coughed, before placing the cards on her field. "I'll start with two cards face down on the field," Reiko decided, the tablets coming up to join with her already active trap. "Next, from my hand," the girl went on, "I activate the spell 'Promotion'... And using its effect," she continued, the tablet that appeared instantly coating the defensive pawn's with a 'cleansing dust', "The Puppet Pawn becomes the Puppet Queen!" Queen? Ummmm...

That was the most powerful piece in Chess wasn't it? So... If these were all chess monsters...

Blood drained from his face as numbers came to mind, the image on the defensive tablet instantly gaining a regal staff and sturdy shield as it doubled in height. Nothing he couldn't handle in the end he'd hope but... Well... That would easily cream one of his monsters right now! And-

"Ummm... I'll end my turn now," Reiko decided, Katsuya sputtering in response.

Wait what? "W- What th' hell, y' aren't attackin'?"

"_Weird_," Alligator muttered, "_We're wide open.._"

"_She could get us easily,_" the Winguard added with a swallow, "_So why..._"

Reiko blinked, sputtering her own response as well. "Erm... Well... I... Couldn't?" she managed almost questioningly. She shook, biting her lip. "I couldn't go, I..." She'd have to discard five cards if she attacked...

But that couldn't be it right? Still. "Shiiiiiit," he muttered, taking his turn and drawing his card. "Th's thing's got more d'fense than pretty much anythin' I got..." And in his hand, 'anything he had' was pretty much covering it. Then again... So long as he didn't attack, and she didn't attack, he could probably stall until the point he got rid of that trap.

"_Let's do this Katsuya-jun,_" Alligator said with a nod. "_W... ...nish... one t..._" Um...

Finish in one turn? Maybe? What?

A flash of fear and confusion both came over him once again, Psycho Shocker's words coming to mind. '_You're lucky you can still hear me_,' he'd said. '_Or are you_?' Or was he? Hahaha...

Not funny damn it! "I summon Gearfried!" Katsuya forced out, tablet carving the armored warrior onto its face as it rose upward. The image carved into existence, smoke coating its form... "Attack mode..." Everything was fine, he told himself. Everything was fine! "I'll end my turn after tha'," he continued with a wince, the monsters seeming to look to him sympathetically while Gearfried stepped out of the stone.

"Erm- You said 'turn end'?" Reiko asked, her opponent blinking. Um... Yes? "Well... You activated this trap then," she told him, tapping the disk as the other blank tablets began to carve. No... "Rear-Guard Action," Reiko explained, the Little Winguard suddenly finding herself coated in an odd smoke emitted from the stone. "With this card," she went on, "Little Winguard attacks the puppet Queen!" Wh-

SHIT- "N-No... AH-!" The monster was drawing her blade already..! "Winguard," he cried, reaching out as the monster charged forward. "Winguard, don-"

"_HHHHHAAAAAH-_" Attack. Damnit. "_GGHH_!" Though the Winguard's blade clattered against stone it did nothing to phase the monster within. And in retaliation for his seemingly moronic move a wave of dust blasted back at him, the blond forced to duck behind his arm as the Winguard herself was tossed back to her end of the field. "_NGH-!_"

"GH-! Shit..!" Lifepoints ticked down by over 1000 points, and as he looked back over his arm he grimaced. "Eh... I don' s'ppose tha' counts as my battle phase?" he asked somewhat lamely, the girl across from him nodding.

"Y-Yes, that's right!" Welllll crap. "Sorry about this." Just...

Crap.

"Shiiiit... Five more cards..." He sighed, taking them in his hand and sending them into the graveyard. "In tha' case-"

"Um... No. I'm very sorry about this," Reiko admitted, "But that isn't the case- I activate another trap you see," she continued, an image identical to her first one's now carving on the lone blank stone. "A second Battlefield Tragedy."

"S-S- SECOND!"

"_Wh- With that kind of mill-!_"

"_W-Wuaaah..! I'm sorry Katsuya!_" Winguard cried, "_I didn't mean..._"

"_...It was a spell, not you,_" Gearfried muttered.

"_Sorry, sorry!_"

The monsters continued 'bickering', Alligator rubbing his head. "_Hahhhh..._"

"Aaaaugh... Ten cards," Katsuya said with a swallow, taking another five and sending them off. "Tha' means..." He balked, almost jumping back as his eyes landed back on the half-discarded deck he had. "Gh- There's only twen'y cards left in there!"

"Twenty- OII, Jonouchi!" Honda shouted from the back, "What the hell are you doing? Did you ease up because she's a girl or something!" What?

NO. "GH- Shut up!" he retorted. "You _wish_ I'd do somethin' like tha'!" Shiiiit...

He turned back to the field, biting his lip. Damn. This girl didn't even want to be here and she was creaming him... And all she was doing was sit-

"Ah..." He blinked, eyes falling on the girl's defensive monster a moment before he swallowed. "...Your turn Reiko-chan," he called out. "Go for it." '_But her monsters aren't too pleased_'...

He had a feeling he knew why that was now... "Erm... Summon the Puppet Rook in defense mode," Reiko announced with a stutter, a tablet only slightly smaller than the Queen's own appearing before him. Similar to the queen, the carved image was blocky, checkered... It was topped however by a castle 'wall', and held no weapons of its own. "And I'll finish my turn there... If you could please make your move, Jonouchi-san." Hn.

Knew it. Defense and deck destruction was definitely this girl's thing. But while that was all good, most people would have been going on and on about how superior their technique was by this point- hell, the guy outside had done as much. What was his name, Lew? Law? Regardless...

His wasn't even that great, this one was putting Ishizu to shame! The only problem though... "_No wonder the monsters don't like her,_" Alligator was muttering, rubbing his head with a sigh. "_I mean, it's a shame, kid seems nice,_" he went on to himself, "_But just look man... Those things were made for attack, not defense! Well... 'Cept maybe the rook,_" he coughed, "_But even then man...!_"

"_Explains what the ruckus in the other realm was about,_" Gearfried muttered. Ruckus? As Katsuya turned the monster continued. "_There's an entire board of chess pieces in there kid- and they're itching for a fight._" Well that figured...

But all the same. That kind of expectation was bound to be setting someone off! "...Hey... Reiko-chan," he called out, frowning somewhat. The girl blinked, looking up with an almost hesitant nod. "...Dueling... It's fun, right?" he asked, his opponent staring before bowing her head almost in flushed shame. "F'r me... Man it's great! Drawin' th' next card get's me all fired up f'r th' next move, an when th' monsters an' I fight... My heart jus' pounds man! It's great, ev'n when there's things at stake!" Like his life. But shhhh, enough about that... He quieted for a moment, Honda as well listening as the blond eventually continued. "...You... Yer nervous abou' these duels, aren't yah?" he asked, Reiko still bowing her head. "Ev'n though y' got th's theme goin on w' yer deck, you wound up using th' only thing tha' w's risk free, d'fense righ'? I ain' sayin' yer cowardly," he quickly added, "Nah... You don' strike me as a coward. But a duel's called a duel for a reason," Katsuya announced. "And a duel without a fight... Ain' a duel at all!"

As Reiko's eyes widened in silent shock the blond continued, drawing his next card and making his move while it still sat in his hand. A monster, his mind had told him. This card was a monster, so...

"My turn," Katsuya called out. "An' I offer th' Little Winguard as sacrifice!" The Winguard nodded as her tablet exploded into dust, the winds of the field blowing it around her in a tall vortex that disintegrated her completely. "An' I do that," he continued as a new figure took form within it, "T' summon this... Giltia, th' Dark Knight!" Robes and jeweled armor came into being, and the warrior readied his spear-like staff with a nod. "Reiko-chan," Katsuya called out, Giltia looking on in silence. "'F you only d'fend an' win without attackin'... Then you've never 'crossed souls'- you've never actually fought these duels, only watched from the sidelines! An' that... That's why yer afraid!" he continued, pointing Giltia forward despite the traps in play. "NOW! Dark Knight Giltia's attack... Destroy the Puppet Rook!" he shouted, the monster pointing his spear forward as a concentrated blast of flames shot from the tip. "SOUL SPEAR!" Annnnnd...

"E-Erm..." Reiko coughed from across him, apparently snapping herself free from her stupor. "By the effect of Battlefield Tragedy," she said almost quietly, "Please remove another ten cards from your deck..." Urk! And there was always that!

"J-Jonouchi..!" Yeah yeah yeah, shut up! The cards were drawn, discarded...

"Glh... There's only ten left," he found himself muttering to himself, the 'deck' resembling little more than a 'full hand' now. Shit... He'd known that would happen but...

Shit. "Um... Once you have no cards left, you won't have lost," Reiko told him suddenly, bowing her head again. Katsuya looked up, blinking as the unspoken yet obvious question was asked. He wouldn't? Weird but- "It isn't until you can no longer draw a card in your draw phase that you lose."

AAH_HHHHHH_ shit! He was still in the same position! "Ngh... Set two cards face down," he hurriedly called out, the tablets shuddering in the ground before they rose up behind him. "End turn..!"

"...My... My turn," his opponent stuttered in response, swallowing as she drew her card. This time however, she did not look at the card. In fact to Katsuya's surprise, she didn't even glance at it as she set it on the field. "One card face down," she said quietly, the blond before her blinking as he realized that the girl had never said 'draw'. "I... …I didn't even think of attacking until now," she said with a whisper, looking over the tablet. "I... ...Go!" she called out, flipping her card into attack mode. "Battle Phase!" Oh-!

He honestly hadn't expected that! "Haha... Brace yerself," he warned the other monsters, Alligator in particular taking a defensive stance. "C'mon, Reiko-chan..!"

"Right!" she shouted, pointing her monster forward as it stepped, blank faced, out from the stone. With black and white checkered armor the Queen raised her staff, nodding. "Puppet Queen attacks the Alligator Sword... CHECKMATE FLUSH!"

"_. . .!_"

Evidently Katsuya thought, wincing as he ducked under the semi-contained explosion that had quite literally disintegrated his monster on the spot, the Queen couldn't speak. Though it didn't have a face so...

Despite this, it seemed quite pleased as she blasted her opponent's monster to oblivion- in fact it had just bowed her head toward Reiko, the girl even jumping in response. Ah-

Now hold on, did that mean...

Katsuya winced as the slight burn from the explosion singed what bare skin it touched, points dropping somewhat before he looked forward. "Hn..." Reiko was now looking over the field hesitantly, as though waiting for the reaction of the others. As he brought his arm down even the monsters were turned, the silent message of '_WELL?_' quite obviously there. Finally, he smiled.

An expression that soon became a grin, the blond laughing loudly as Reiko stared. "Hnhn... HaH_AHAHA_! Alrigh'!" he laughed, nodding as his opponent broke out into a relieved smile. "Strong! Fr'm now on, it's a serious duel!" he continued, the monsters and Honda both looking at him incredulously.

"Jonouchi," Honda began, Gearfried nodding in unison as his words were effectively taken out of his mouth. "You've been serious the whole time haven't you..."

"Ahe..." Yes, but shut up damn it.

"Um... Lets see," his opponent muttered, pulling cards from her deck as the Queen stood proudly at her summoner's side. "I send the top ten cards to the graveyard now..." Honda shook his head from behind the battle, swallowing.

"Y' know Jonouchi," he whispered, "This is great for your 'Spirit of the Duelist' thing- it really is. I'm... Really not surprised you live by it so much," he added, still speaking as sarcastically as he tended to be when it came to the whole 'ability' deal. "But could that spirit maybe help you win now?"

Yeah yeah... "Honda," he said calmly. "I know how bad th's looks... Believe me. But don' you think I've givin' up when we're fighting to save Anzu. The will t' fight," he continued, looking back. "'S long as Reiko-chan doesn' have it, she won' understand. Unless you've got somethin' t' fight for," he continued louder, steadying his stance as Reiko stared, "You can't call yerself a duelist!"

"Well that's great!" Honda countered, "But you've got a bigger problem right now! You even try attacking you'll lose all your cards and end up knocked out!" GH- He knew that he was right but he was kind of trying to ignore that!

"Jus'... Jus' shut it Honda, I need t' think!"

"Then why don't you shut up and strategize!" Hahahaha...

He knew damn it, he knew! Just stuff it! "Erm... Okay then," Reiko coughed from across the two, Katsuya looking back. "It... It's your move..."

"Yeah!" Draw..! Right now in his hand there was nothing to gum up the Battlefield Tragedy- it was like Honda said. If he attacked, he was screwed. There was really nothing much he could do with that in mind so... "I'll set a card face down," he called out, still another blank tablet coming behind him. "End turn!"

Time to rely on his opponent's moves! "My turn," Reiko began, drawing her next card and again moving before she looked it over. "I'll sacrifice the Puppet Queen!" Th- The Queen? The monster before him surrounded itself in tablet dust, a new image carving clearly across the face of the stone.

As the smoke cleared to reveal a caped and almost regal looking figure of black and white however, Katsuya found himself grinning almost darkly. "Hehe... Alrigh' then Reiko," he called out, the girl across him swallowing at his expression. "Tha's my cue! By summonin' Puppet King," the blond explained, "You give me a shot at activatin' a card... An I'm usin' this!" he continued, his two monsters nodding as they braced themselves for what was next. "POLYMERIZATION! Fuse t'gether t'summon th' thing that'll end it all," he went on, pillars of smoke and dust merging their tablets into one. "GilTI-GEARFRIED!"

It was as though Giltia's armor was accented completely with Gearfried's, the body doing nothing but seemingly growing with the change of power. Though the face while now 'goggled' was still the same however, the spear that he had held had changed completely. An enormous blade resembling Gearfried's former arms rested on the pole, joined to the monster's real one by a shield-like gauntlet. "Th's is th' strongest monster I have!" Katsuya shouted with a nod, watching his opponent's eyes fly over the field. "So bring it on!" She wouldn't dare attack! Would she, he thought for a moment? There was a spark in her eyes now, something that again reminded him of his sister...

But not when she was calm.

Oh far from that. This spark...

This was the look of a duelist. This was the look of someone who was willing to put up a fight. "Puppet King," Reiko ordered, her opponent's eyes widening. "Attack! With MAJESTIC CHECK!" Gh-

Shit, she really did attack! "Act'vate Extra Boost!" he hurriedly called, the tablet behind Gilt-Gearfried instantly crumbling and coating the monster's blade just as the attack connected. Smoke filled the air, obscuring the monsters from sight, the flames and sparks from the King's staff coating everything...

But even so Katsuya could see Reiko's wide eyed smile, an expression that quickly began to fade with the smoke as Honda looked on. "E-Erm... W-what?" she asked with a whisper.

"Extra Boost!" Katsuya explained, crossing his arms with a grin. "Gilt-Gearfried gains half 'is defense points f'r this turn... Which means Gilt-Gearfried counters!" he announced, the silent monster charging with his blade as the marble giant before it tensed. "ATTACK! SPEAR SLASHER!"

"_. . . ..!_" It was a little awkward, hearing but 'not hearing' the King. But as the marble stone clattered to the ground in halves it was more awkward to realize that the pieces had yet to fade. So while Reiko stiffened, ducking under the attack before looking back...

It took a moment to pull himself back into the duel. Reiko's expression told him 'counter'... And that meant-

"Activate trap!" the girl cried, stone slowly carving as she swallowed. "Rope of Life... Reviving the Puppet King," she continued, the pieces snapping back together in an instant before the monster returned to Reiko's side. Hn! Well...

And to think, he'd gotten a heads up on that just before he attacked. No way for him to cheat, but he still knew... "Tha' w's a good move," he complimented, giving his opponent a steady nod. The girl seemed to frown somewhat, and his Knight narrowed his eyes at the sight. "But ev'n so... My skills," he announced, "Still trump yours! Watch!" Katsuya shouted, his final tablet crumpling to the ground. "My final trap- Rengeki! I have 'till th' end 'f this turn b'fore Gilt-Gearfried has t' go t' the grave thanks t' Extra Boost... An' that's just enough time f'r th's card's effect!" When a monster deals damage...

Attack again directly..!

"A-Ahh...!"

"Let's do th's!" he shouted, pointing his monster forward. "Second attack!"

"Hnnnnnn- _HAHHHHH! _"

Though the blade never came in contact with Reiko, the wind it caused did. Who knew if she was sensitive enough to feel the attack- there was no way of knowing without it being too late. But even the motions of an attack could do this, and with the monster's impressive power Reiko's lifepoints were gone in one go. The field dissolved around them...

And as it happened he could see Reiko's eyes fluttering around to look where each tablet was standing almost curiously, as though she'd seen it herself. "Heh... We did it!" Katsuya cheered, pumping a fist as his monster smirked and faded. "We won!"

"Hahahaha..." The blond turned, looking to where Reiko was sighing almost in relief and exhaustion. "Well... I guess you beat me," the girl laughed, bowing her head. "That... That was a very exciting duel," she went on honestly, "Really!" Heh...

"Yeah! It was- An' it looks like y' got over yer fear too," he continued, the girl again nodding politely.

"I, I suppose..."

"Yeaaaaah... About that," Honda muttered from behind. "You know... If she just kept defending, you'd have lost. You kinda forced her to attack, don't you think that's a little..." O-Oi oi, that wasn't-

"W-What'd you jus' say!" That wasn't what he was doing at all damn it!

"_Got a point man..._" G-Gator?

"_Hn! The Chess Pieces might appreciate it, but it was still cheap._" F-Flame swordsman too!

A chorus of grumbles followed with, and the blond found himself sorely outnumbered in opinions. S-Seriously? All of them?

"Well, either way, you won," Honda admitted with a sigh. "So... How about that key then?" he asked, holding a hand out to Reiko. There was a short silence, and Katsuya instantly paled. Reiko's earlier words of 'last resort' were coming to mind...

Along with a pair of lines, paths... "...W-Well," she stuttered, "Actually..."

"You don' have th' key, do yah," Katsuya muttered, the grl nodding in response. "Well then... What abou' th' other duelists?" he tried, swallowing. "Th' other exits, there's gotta be another professor around here..!"

"A-Ah!" Reiko cringed, pulling back. "I'm sorry," she admitted, "But I was told to keep you here in this room... There aren't any more professors here," she said with a swallow. "And all other exits are sealed off, I..."

"So there's no other way out?" Honda shouted, Katsuya shaking from beside him.

"I'm sorry," the girl repeated, now trembling before them in fear. "I really am... But I was just following orders, I truly have almost no idea what's going on here... I- AH!"

"DAMN IT!" A thundering 'clang' came over the air, the others both jumping as a small 'dent' appeared on the elevator door beneath Katsuya's fist. "How... How'm I supposed t' help Yugi?" he cried, fist slowly dropping as his head fell on the door in its place with a dull thud. "How'm I supposed t' help save Anzu..? Damn it..." He slowly stood from the door, face red and body tense as he snarled. "HHHHAA_AAAAH_! Stop playing games with me TENMA! Ngh-!" Just as another punch was thrown the doors opened, a familiar black haired boy instantly pulling back while the others froze. "Ah-"

"K-Katsuya-nii... Honda," Mokuba muttered in surprise, taking the headset he was wearing down from his head. "You..."

"M-Mokuba," Katsuya murmured, before suddenly wincing and gripping his leg as the boy kicked it. "OW, FU- What th' hell!" Evidently someone hadn't appreciated almost breaking his nose! (Ow!)

"What were you doing punching nee-sama's elevators?" he snarled, Reiko still standing at the side and out of sight with wide eyes. "You almost beaned me in the head too, what's wrong with you!"

"I was pissed!"

"That doesn't mean you start punching the elevators, idiot! That-" The boy blinked, frowning. "Wait," he muttered, "Why are you two here!"

Honda immediately began explaining in the place of a still cursing Katsuya. "We're chasing after a guy named Tenma," he began, Katsuya nodding as he continued.

"The guy kidnapped Anzu! Me an' Honda are tryin' t' catch up with Yugi so we c'n all find im'! ...Well... We were at least," he added, coughing as Reiko shrunk back guiltily. "We-"

"S-Slow down a minute, you're after Tenma?" The pair nodded.

"Tha's what we said..." He was surprised?

"Reiko here says it's a dead end here though," Honda continued, grimacing. "We've been going through the Card Professors to gather keys for a bit now but-"

"But enough talkin'," Katsuya finished. "We need t' find Tenma!" They both turned expectantly to the boy, who shrugged.

"Great idea," he offered, "But I'm not going after Tenma." Ahhh... What?

"Er..."

"Y' aren't?"

The boy shook his head. "Nii-sama's doing that," he told them, having stepped out from the elevator to spot a shrinking Reiko on the side. "I'm just trying to regain control of the building."

"...You c'n do tha'?" Katsuya asked lamely, finding himself met with a dry look from his friend.

Mokuba was honestly used to it by now. "Of course! The problem is that I can't access anything major from here," he told them, fiddling with his slate as he started off down one of the halls. "The outside exits are thankfully unlocked now," the boy muttered as he walked, Reiko silently debating following from behind. "But thanks to Tenma, I have to create new security codes for each door as I go- Not to mention," he growled, sounding eerily like his sister, "He completely trashed any direct access port outside the one by the system itself! There's no way to access this part of the system wirelessly," he rambled, the others trading looks. "I need to go straight to the source, the main computer. If he's using the system, he'll need at least one access point. We can follow... This path," he continued, gesturing to his slate, "And get there but-" Mokuba blinked, looking back to the others with a frown. "Do you guys even know what I'm talking about?"

"...It means we c'n stop Tenma righ'," Katsuya answered. "So tha's all that matters! Oi, Reiko!" he shouted back, the girl jumping. "A-Ahh... Y-yes?"

"Good game..! Now, let's go!" he continued, jogging after a now running Mokuba while the girl behind them blinked confusedly. She ultimately seemed to decide to just grab her soda can from where she'd left it, taking a seat in one of the hall chairs. "I'm comin' along with you!"

"And me too," Honda added, waiting until they were completely out of Reiko's earshot to continue. "Gotta ask though, where's your sister?"

"Nee-sama?" Mokuba repeated, looking to the others. He quickly turned back to face the hall, answering them. "...Nee-sama's already figured out where Tenma himself is," he explained.

_'She's going to deal with him in person._'

As those last words were said, Katsuya had a brief and minute flash of the woman stalking toward a set of doors with clenched fists. And then, as the vision faded...

Nothing but darkness and dull shouts could come to his attention.


	7. Nokriy

Though he should be walking through the halls of a tall building that stretches toward the sky, there is nothing but sand and clay in his vision right now.

And shadows, of course. Many shadows. The boy sits with the dragon, ignorant of the shouts to his older and modern-day counterpart. He cannot hear his friend's cry from where he's standing still, hand on his head whilst he falls and stumbles blindly against the wall.

He can only see what is both a vision and a memory from the ancient past. A Warning for what is already before them.

He can only listen- and listen closely, for the dragon is telling a story now. A story that is for reasons even he does not know an incredibly important tale, be it then and be it now.

It is the story of Ziz.

The shape-changer who thrived not on destruction initially, but fear. A being who, the dragon tells him, as a coward itself did no more harm than a spec of dust until it was confident that it could raze villages in one blow. For as Ziz grew the beast realized that while simply becoming what it faced could inflict fear, and create what fed it...

To destroy while in that same form could do so much more, and could feed it still more power. It was capable of many things, horrific things... It was a being who craved the power resulting from these things, things that prompted Light herself to face the monster in battle.

But at this point it was already too late for Light to stand against the demon. For by this point Ziz' power was equal to Light's own, possibly even surpassing it... Ziz had done the impossible and brought Light to her very knees.

So Light did the one thing that she knew Ziz would be unable to recover from, the one thing that could save her creations.

She divided herself into three separate beings of altered power, each one with a different form and a different name, a different power free of the knowledge at Ziz' disposal. And as three Gods instead of merely one, Ziz found himself woefully confused. He duplicated one only to be over taken by another, duplicated two at once and was drowned in the power of the first. So deciding he had no other choice he followed in Light's footsteps, splitting himself into a triad of creatures...

But unlike Light, who had planned her division and moved according to what she felt was the optimum choice, Ziz was unable to control what portions of his power went where. To the golem-like beast with bat wings his power to instill terror was given but with a power that would not change in the face of it, it no longer gained what it could.

To the serpentine devil with vapor arms and great clawed hands came the power to take the strength of others, the immunity to the spells of mankind, but any who gained the courage to face it could take it down in but an instant. And to the final creature where most all of Ziz' mind lay...

The final great mass of liquid, with nothing to call its own even in name, was in possession of only one thing. Its ability to change form, to mirror any that it faced by just a sliver more of power. In a manner it was stronger.

And in another it was weaker.

Light however had only become stronger in the face of Ziz. For now that the demons before her people held forms that were unchanging, forms that could no longer mirror her completely, their faith in the Light was returning.

And it was this faith that gave the Light strength. This faith that destroyed the power of Ziz's pieces and this strength that allowed her to strike the demons down!

With only one message before she used her power to seal them away. And her words were thus;

'_O people of creation, people to whom I have entrusted this realm! Let it be known that no power can kill what is already beyond death! But fear not, O children of mine- For there is another way! I will form a seal of my body and power, and leave you with the only key... What has a NAME,_' Light warned with her three mouths, shielding her people from the shadow's reach, '_Has POWER- And with my NAMES I shall seal the creatures who torment you. I shall smite them where they stand and destroy all that threatens the creatures of my creation. But only while those you see remain without power can I protect you- Only while they have no name to call their own will I be able to defend you... The evil 'Gods' you witness must remain without a name... Or Darkness will once again be allowed to prevail... I leave you with these words, and pray you heed them for all time._'

“_The people then watched,_" the dragon tells him, "_As each of Light's portions stretched to far reaches of the land. As stones of immense power appeared in their stead, names and seals sending sparks into the air. And with great power the stones sent streams of light into the air, toward each of Ziz's portions. To the stone of Gold came that of the shape-changer, who dissolved into shadows until it was finally latched beneath the ground where it would never see the sky. To the stone of Blue, surrounded by sea, the demon of fear became sealed. His image would forever be drenched by the oceans, overshadowed by the monster it so attempted to duplicate in form. And finally, the stone of Red. With reaching arms the demon clung to all in sight, fighting his prison. But the portion of Light that took home in the seas and skies was no longer challenged in power. The monster was without company, without 'allies' to give it strength. With a final howl the Red Stone's power coiled about it, drawing it near... _

“_And at the tallest point of the land, with nothing to grasp, the demon's three pieces were completely sealed. And it was only then that the people of light realized their fate. Only then, as the sun returned to the sky and as the Light that had so long accompanied them remained silent, did they realize the cost of the battle. Though the Light succeeded her power as well would now be spent. Her three portions could never amount to their full power- and worse these same portions would forever be sealed away from their former realm, unable to remain among the people they had created. By locking the power of darkness away, they had become tainted . They had become shadows, regardless of intent and power. But they had names,_" the dragon assures him. "_If anything, they at least had that. And though these names would change over time dear boy, these stones that held their power would change as well. They would eventually move, carved into alternate shapes... Covered by sand, carried with your people from the Lost Lands to the one you sit in now. The stones would become embedded in something more simple_," he explains. "_Clay and dirt... Enshrined and protected_."

"But where are they now?" the boy asks. "The elders don't have anything like that."

"That's right," Neker adds. "If anything, it sounds as though the three treasures that were stolen were these sto-"

"_They were not STOLEN!_" the dragon roars, rearing back and unleashing a howl that freezes the boys in place. "_And far from it in fact! You would do well to remember this..._" He calms, lowering his head. "The treasures your elders speak of were given to the lands not far from here many a year ago," he explains. "_During your people's time here, they were strangers in a cursed land. Taken from a realm far more powerful and blessed than these, they struggled to survive. During this time_," he continues, "_Many peoples gave your own aid. Some, such as the nomads of your language, would allow them to settle and grow into their own home... Others, the likes of which have long forgotten their ties to this land, would defend your people from complete and utter destruction. It is for this,_" the dragon says, "_That they would be granted the three stones of power, and the 'Gods' that lay within them. And with the power that these Gods held, the Kings who held them became God-like themselves... But that was then, and this is now,_" the dragon sighs. "_Now it is more likely these treasures are known in name only... It is no surprise that your elders have twisted this tale out of spite themselves_," he supposes. "_But I find that in the end... It is likely that even they would have forgotten with time..._"

The boys trade uneasy glances as the shadow stares off- when the dragon gains this expression, he reminisces and ponders what could have been a large amount. Moreover he gets rather depressed it appears...

And when the dragon is depressed, it becomes incredibly awkward to speak. So quickly, they decide to change the subject before it is too late.

"Dragon," they ask, snapping the shadow from his reverie. "Those pieces of 'Ziz'... The nameless ones? Could they come back?" they fearfully question, curiosity evident in their eyes.

The dragon is silent for a moment, and as the boy's vision fades and he remembers that he is beyond that age already, that he does not live in a land of sand, that there are others calling him...

That this is not real- this is a dream, possibly even an ancient memory, but nonetheless long before his time.

But as he begins to realize this he hears the shadow's final words...

"_**Only if they were to find a single vessel**_," he warns, voice echoing ominously upon the air. "_**Only then, through the power that joins them as one yet again, could they return**_."

* * *

In the darkness of the room no light penetrated beyond the level of a low computerized glow. The only windows there were black with darkness, and a normal human being would be unable to look through them to what lay below in the next room. Yakou Tenma evidently, was not some 'normal' human being however and as he sat in the dark, he was perfectly content with leaving it that way and staring at the subject of his slowly succeeding plan.

Seto however was not one for humoring those against her to say the least of things. And it was with that in mind that the doors had been forced open, the light from the hall casting a long dark shadow into the room.

"Tenma!" she snarled, fists clenched and held to her sides as the man before her slowly turned. "This is as far as your project goes!" Tenma continued to stare, completely silent for a few moments.

"Seto Kaiba," he finally sighed, shaking his head. "I told you not to disturb me, and yet..." The man sighed again, looking away as his 'former business partner' began steadily walking toward him. "Really," he muttered, "I-"

-_CRACK!_

"GHU-" The force of her fist sent Tenma across the room, his body slamming against the machines on the corner. With a weak cough he attempted to pull himself back up, only to give in with a pained grunt. "N-Ngh..."

"I don't care what you want," Seto hissed, coming toward the body as a slowly trickling line of blood began to appear from Tenma's face. "And I believe I made that quite clear over six hours ago. You have no right to do this- so I'm settling it now. Control of the building returns to ME," she snarled. "Now LEAVE!" Silence.

And then laughter of all things. "Hnhnhnhnhn..." Mocking, crazed laughter... "Hnhnhahahahaaaa..." The man slowly lifted his head, blood still trailing down the side of his chin. "My vengeance program has already started 'Seto'... You're wasting your time. It can't be stopped... Not now, not ever... Hnh_nhnhnhn_..." 'Se-'

SETO! "You disgusting piece of filth," the woman growled,pulling the man up by his collar. "Either you pack up and leave NOW, or-"

"Soon," he whispered, tone almost reassuring. "It'll all be over soon... Soon..." What? The woman froze for a moment in confusion, grip momentarily loosening. "The duel ring server stores all the worlds card data from Pegasus-sama's creation," he rambled to himself, captor narrowing her eyes even further "Once heterogeneous data is switched to homogenous data, it'll all be ready, soon..."

"What the hell are you talking about," Seto roared, grip restored. "Get out of my bui-"

The woman froze, lights having turned on in the room opposite to catch her eye. It was the server house, something she'd known of course- the room where the enormous computer was kept running and well watched, well conditioned. Storing all the data for each and every card signal in existence. But the computer itself was not what caught her eye. It was what was attached to it, plugged into every available port with additional ones where required. A machine almost similar to the Virtual Reality pods still under testing and development, with portions of the frame even wrapping around her own computer. She could not properly see out the window as dark as it was despite the lights however. There was just a dim shadow, illuminated by the numerous screens below. But with a single button pushed on the side the window was made wider and clearer. The lights around turned on completely, and the room was revealed in every way, the sight taking her very breath away. With eyes closed over as though in a deep sleep, the body within the device was quite clearly and obviously that of Anzu Mazaki.

Given the state of her clothes she'd been taken in the evening hours of the day, likely right of the streets and unaware until it was all too late. That however wasn't the point. The machine before her was clicking and whirring and with every sound it made dread began to rise within her. Why was Anzu here? Why was she hooked up to a device that was so clearly focusing on her mind, and why was she almost dead in appearance? What was the machine doing? What was it doing here, connected to her server! WHY-

"Rebirth... Of the Avatar," Tenma whispered, standing from where he'd been dropped and almost forgotten. "Anzu Mazaki is the key to reviving Pegasus-sama's soul," he explained, receiving a mixed look of incredulous unease and confusion both. "In order to refine and extract the fragments of soul Pegasus-sama sealed in his creations... I'm taking all of the data and refining it into a single type. And after that," he continued, neck cracking as he came to stand straight, "It'll all be poured into the substitute vessel... The soul will always seek a body," he whispered, slowly beginning to laugh as he spoke. "And once it's refined in the vessel he'll be back... Pegasus-sama..." This...

"Personality?" she growled, eyes still as wide as they'd been once the man began spouting nonsense. "SOUL? That's enough, Tenma! The only thing in that server is DATA! Zeroes and ones! This machine doesn't hold even a bit of what can be called a 'soul'," she continued lowly. "Now get... OUT!"

And of course, she found herself noting, he refused to listen, instead sighing almost 'morosely'. "Seto, Seto, Seto," he sighed, ignoring the cracked knuckles he heard in response. "You should know full well that I'm not talking about the machine... I'm talking about the 'cards'," he whispered, eyebrows raising just a moment. He went on. "You're one of a bare minimum of duelists in the world who have experienced it after all! The spirits of the cards, the living duel monsters..." Blue Eyes.

"What are you implying," she snarled, momentarily stiffening. If there was anything she would no longer deny... Anything at all...

"In the Battle City preliminary matches," Tenma began coolly, "Something triggered an idea during your match against Ishizu Ishtar. Rather than do what most would, and summon 'Obelisk', you summoned 'Blue Eyes White Dragon'... And for a similar reason," he continued, the woman before him growing white as things that had never met the eyes or ears of the rest of the world came from Tenma's mouth, "The match between yourself and Yugi Mutou ended up with both Gods destroying each other... A moment during which you both shared a 'vision'. Though you can correct me if I'm wrong," he added, giving a subtle and mocking bow as he sneered. "It isn't as though I was there..." No.

No, he sure as hell was not there at the time... But those words were dangerously close to what happened despite that final match never being recorded beyond text on a screen! She'd gone into that fight with nothing hidden outside typical clothing, the entire match was left un-filmed as a result. But to know about the visions even, the hallucinations that a small part of her mind still argued as real!

"Pegasus-sama put a small bit of his soul in all the cards he created," Tenma whispered, eyes narrowed dangerously. "If you were to look at all the cards he created at once," he continued, "Then you would find it... You could bring him back in a new form..." That... That was completely...

"That's enough!" she barked, colour returning to her face. Bring a man back from the dead... Now THAT was impossible! "This is nonsense! Everything you're saying is impossible, you can't revive a dead man with-"

"With a deck of cards?" Tenma finished, walking toward one of the keyboards at the side. "I can see why you would be hesitant to believe... But I am not lying," he told her darkly. "In fact there's already a successful case, and he's standing in this building now..." Success...

Successful?

The woman stood, silent with disbelief as the man went on. "He was a competitor, if not illegally, during the Duelist Kingdom tournament," Tenma began. "His mind and soul were shattered as a punishment by Pegasus-sama, through a 'penalty game' if you recognize the term..." And the very phrasing and expression he used told her that he knew she would, Seto thought with a mental shudder. The very mention of that term...

...Ghh...

'Penalty'. The fact that there was someone in this state of mind throwing the term about so easily had her blood both boiling and freezing all at once. "The penalty game," Tenma was explaining as he tapped a few keys from across the woman, "Was simple. He thought he shot himself in the head- by all clinical terms he was dead- completely brain dead... But his soul. That was still there. He was, after all, a duelist," he told her. "His deck was still there- and the deck, after all, is a duelist's sword. It's something that is refined by the soul, that grows with the soul! And in the same way Pegasus-sama put his soul into all the cards he created, this duelist did so with his deck! So I experimented," he announced. "I refined the data of those cards, merged the single similarities of the soul, until I had pieced it back together again! I forced it back into the body... And in the end, it was a success..."

"Impossible!" It was the most she could say- there was no way for it to happen, no way at all and yet-

"See for yourself," Tenma sneered, clicking one final button as the screen before them flickered. "The man that came back from the dead..." It was a security feed that Tenma had pulled onto the screen. That much was obvious given the quality of the image. But Tenma's gesture easily pointed out the vest wearing figure on the screen despite this. The gaunt, somewhat slouched American, hair unkempt and face unshaven, sunglasses covering what were likely bloodshot eyes was walking steadily down the hall with his gaze determinedly focused ahead.

Bandit Keith. The 'has-been' duelist of the USA, former champion and eventual joke among most of the dueling world.

And a nightmarish source of paranoia for those willing to pursue the game as a career, an example of the worst case scenario. It was not however Keith who held her attention for long. Nor was it the figure of Gekkou, who was quite clearly eyeing Keith with considerable suspicion and not working with his brother (thankfully). It was the short one. With impossible hair. That one was the one who stood out the most.

Yugi was in the building. And as she stared at the figure, eyes slowly gluing themselves to the holographic woman that was somehow beside him, Tenma continued to speak behind her. "Yugi Mutou has been driving away the card professors I've dispatched about this tower with incredible progress," he chuckled, eyes narrowing almost to slits. The woman looked back, her own expression growing stony again whilst she listened. "He's coming close to this place," the man murmured, "But by the time he does it'll all be too late. The more he fights the more charged his soul becomes. The more charge develops the more the fragments in the machine resonate and focus with one another, joining similarity to similarity and forming a single consciousness! Just as planned!" he laughed, Seto's eyes widening in horror as she looked from Tenma back to the screen, "Yugi is doing all he can to get here... And because of that, my plan will be successful in any way!" This...

This monster... Whether it was true or not, with all that was happening at this moment-! As she stepped to the side to face Tenma there was only one thought on her mind.

Get rid of Tenma by any means- or 'impossibilities' would be the least of her concern.

* * *

They'd been walking for a while it seemed, the four of them. Anzu wasn't walking in reality of course, what with her being more of a synthesized ghost now, but she'd been at least attempting to look like she was for a while early on. She'd soon given up however- it seemed that she had to focus to do it, so in the end simply floating along with Yugi's duel-disk was a better option. As it was the walk was passing with an almost odd level of silence. A number of feet ahead Keith was still acting as their guide- they themselves kept in close quarters while watching with a wary eye.

Perhaps that was why they didn't seem as surprised when a pair of duelists appeared from behind the staircase beside them. "_Oi oi_," the taller of the two shouted, a thick fur-lined jacket wrapped around and pinned beneath his disk. "_Getting a little lost there aren't you Keith?_"

Yugi frowned, heat tilting somewhat as the white-haired man shouted down in English. "Did he just say... Is he talking to Keith?" he muttered to the others.

Gekkou nodded, Anzu doing the same. "_Yeah... I think he said something about 'lost',_" she murmured, "_But..._"

Well evidently someone knew them. "_Tch- You? And what the fuck do you bastards want?_" Keith snarled back, Yugi blinking almost owlishly at the conversation he could only partially understand.

"He's asking what they're doing here," Gekkou whispered upon catching the look, swallowing before he continued. "But these two..."

Again Yugi blinked. "You know them, Gekkou-kun?"

"I do," he whispered, the two in question walking down and toward them from the stairs. One was only a little taller than himself- wearing simple black jeans with a partially buttoned shirt. The one with the coat however wasn't wearing a 'coat' necessarily- the bottom cut off around the end of the chest, leaving nothing but a black shirt and a pair of cargo pants beneath. All in all they looked about as different as night and day...

Something that had him wondering if they intended to bring that image forth.

"Like me," Gekkou explained in regard to the duelists, "They were considered Pegasus' proteges... These two in particular spent a lot of time in our home in fact, as 'chouji' one could even say." Eh?

"Cho- Chouji!" F-Favored children! Yugi choked, looking back to the one beside him. "Then... These two are pretty much your brothers aren't they-!"

Gekkou merely nodded, swallowing as the taller gave a wave toward them. "_Heeeeyyyy, Gekkou! Been a while hasn't it?_" Um... He was asking how he was feeling right?

Before he could think about it more he watched Gekkou turn, the man appearing to ignore the two for a moment to instead continue his conversation with Yugi. "Listen carefully," he hurriedly told him, his 'friends' muttering or staring in response. "These two are the highest ranking of the Card Professors, and the black disk on Richie's arm proves this- he," Gekkou went on, Yugi eying the disk on the tallest of the duelists with a swallow, "Is the absolute Champion in the league, and like all the other heads is exempt from the standard tournament line. The second ranking duelist is beside him," Gekkou warned, the stone-eyed young teen in black seeming to send a piercing stare toward them at that moment, "His name is Scott Depre. Now..." He swallowed, straightening himself as he looked toward 'Richie'. "_..._Richie_,_" he began. "...I see my brother gave you enough incentive to seek us out then_._"

Richie merely shrugged, snorting. "Phaaaaah, Yakou had nothing to do with this part... We just came down to say 'hello', isn't that right Scott?" He grinned, looking toward Scott and receiving no change in reaction as a result. With briefly raised eyebrows and an exasperated sigh Richie apparently accepted this as normal- the man shrugged, before turning back. "Eh, ignore the look... He's just as excited you know!" If Scott's face was any sign, then no. No he really wasn't. Regardless, Richie was speaking again. "Now... So this is 'Mutou Yugi'," he called out, Japanese coming surprisingly fluent from the man. "You're quite the catch kid- should be proud of that. Name's 'Merced'... Nice to meet the 'King' of duels."

"Eh..." He... Wasn't really sure how to react to that...

…Particularly since it was his other half who got the title, and more or less as a side effect of whatever was going on... ...Well...

"...Thanks?"

The man laughed, nodding his head. "Pleasure's mine! But you know," Richie continued with a somewhat betraying grin, "You lot are lucky we came to find you- because you're going the wrong way!"

Anzu choked. "_W-Wrong wa-!_"

Richie blinked, looking over the hologram that was Anzu a moment as the grin faded slightly. He somehow managed to get over it in the end however, instead nodding and turning toward Keith. "That's right... And I think the guide oughta fess up, don't you Scott?" There was again no answer, but Scott's endless glare seemed to instantly turn to Keith, the blond in question tensing completely beneath it. "I mean... This is the opposite direction," he continued, the 'cheery' tone almost frighteningly cold despite itself. "You're heading down if you keep going this way..."

"_DOWN?!_" Anzu repeated with a snarl, only for Keith to interrupt himself.

"You assholes... What the fuck are you trying to do?" he snarled, "You picking a fight? HUH?"

The taller of the duelists snorted, walking toward the group as he grinned. "What... A fight with someone like you 'Ossan'?" Richie laughed, bringing a hand down on Keith's shoulder. "Now why the fuck would I do THAT!"

"G-_FF_-" The blond stumbled back as his gut was slammed solidly with Richie's fist, the grin they'd seen since his appearance instantly replaced with a scowl.

"_What the fuck do you think you're doing!_" he roared, ignoring the curse and attempt to punch back from his 'victim'. Keith's wrist was snatched with ease, and the American was pulled forward into his attacker's knee as Richie continued on with the beating. "_You trying to bait out that underdog duelist you asshole? Making me wait for your sorry face!_"

"Ng-gh... Hah..." A few gagging choke sounds came through the air, slowly turning into hoarse laughter as the others stared. "Hahhhh... Hahahahaha... _Bastard!_" Keith retorted, shakily pulling himself up as sweat began to bead on the side of his face. "_You plan on knocking me out yourself then_? HUH?-_Gh_-" Another crack came through the air with the others wincing, sunglasses hanging off of Keith's face as he was knocked to the floor by another punch. "GG_Ghnn_n..."

"_Don't make me LAUGH_!" Richie hissed, steadily walking toward his victim. "_You used to be the 'All American Champion'. The greatest 'Tournament Bandit'! That time's long gone though,_" he continued. "_And if you think your glory days are enough to coast on for the rest of your life then allow me to make it clear to you_," he snarled, "_I_-"

"_S-Stop_!" As Keith groaned from the ground Richie froze, bringing his foot to the ground from where he'd been about to kick. There wasn't much that Yugi knew in English of course- his marks weren't that far off from Jonouchi's in fact. But he knew at least that word, and would use it if he had to. As the boy stood in front of Keith's coughing form the others stared, shocked into silence. "This... This is enough," Yugi forced out, shaking his head and holding his arms out protectively. "That's enough..."

"... ...Get out of the way," Richie warned, narrowing his eyes.

Yugi swallowed but stood firm. "...No!"

His response was a snort and a sarcastic grin, the man shaking his head. "You want to defend this guy?" Richie asked. "You want to defend a drunk old shit, who'd just as much give you flowers as do this for you in return?" When Yugi gave no answer the scowl seemed to deepen, Scott merely watching with curious and narrowed eyes. "What the hell makes you think I'm going to do what you say, huh?"

"The fact that your target isn't Keith," Gekkou answered, his friend's attention turning back to him. "Unless my brother told you otherwise..."

"Gh... Gekkou..."

"...Gekkou," Scott finally asked, the others jumping when they realized who almost monotonous voice over the air belonged to, "_...Why are you... On their side?_" As the others turned Scott continued to speak, even gesturing toward them in apparent 'confusion'. "_In Pegasus' place, you and your brother were to take over I2... Together... Both of you_," he continued in English, Yugi again silently trying to understand. "_But why... Why aren't you with Yakou?_" he asked. "_Why are you siding with... Him?_" he sneered, eyes briefly flickering to where the boy stood. Gekkou stared with shadowed eyes at those words, his head bowed.

Briefly, just briefly, his gaze began to drift in Anzu's direction. But only briefly, and he very quickly turned his head away to face the others. "We can't do this," he whispered, clearing his voice to speak louder. "Bring back someone who's already dead... It was bad enough to bring in someone we thought was responsible but now a number of innocent people and an entire company have been dragged into this mess... We can't do this," Gekkou repeated lowly, Richie's growl slowly picking up volume as he spoke. "It isn't right..."

"_And standing on the sidelines is?_" he retorted, looking to the 'CEO' with rage. "_What do you think you're playing at! We were pretty much raised by Pegasus... He looked after us, he made sure that we could have LIVES! Without this plan,_" he continued, voice sinking down into a desperate whisper, "_It would be like spitting on his grave..._" Gekkou didn't even flinch at the words- and Richie noticed. With a sour look of distaste on his face he drew back, shaking his head. "_Screw it!_" he decided. "_Just screw it. You knew the 'rules'_," Richie spat. "_You obviously know what you're doing! But I won't forgive you. I will never forgive you for what you're doing right now.._."

"_And Yugi Mutou,_" Scott continued, the boy in question swallowing as the English continued to poke at his brain. "_Revenge against you is the same as reviving our teacher- understand. Pegasus' revival... Will only bring good to this world... And as you defeated him, it's only fitting that we rid him of one last pest before his arrival..._" U-Umm...

What! "Um..." Yugi swallowed. "I can't... I can't understand-"

"_He's repeating what the others said,_" Anzu whispered, choosing not to specify too much on what Scott had said. "_About how he has to beat you to bring Pegasus back in... In my…_" She shuddered. "_I'd rather not think about that anymore, okay?_" U-Understandable..!

Regardless, it seemed Scott didn't care- that, or he himself couldn't understand him either. "_After your duel, Pegasus' soul... It shattered,_" he growled, Yugi only able to tell that whatever he was hearing wasn't meant to be good. "_You scattered it into pieces and then let him die... I don't care if you placed the final blow,_" he continued, voice growing even louder. "_As far as I'm concerned you killed him- and while his soul lies in wait I will do all I can to bring him back!_"

"A-Ahhhh..."

"In that case," Gekkou barked, "It's the same for us- we won't let any more lives be given for this!"

"_I think Mutou can speak for himself_," Richie responded.

"I think if you all spoke his language rather than using English on a Japanese student," he retorted "You'd have better luck with that!"

"_Will you all just SHUT UP!_" The group jumped turning to Anzu's hologram as she flickered from between them.

"A-Anzu..."

"Yugi," She asked stonily. "'Scott' would like you to know that despite everything he still feels as though you killed Pegasus, and will thereby do anything he can to bring him back! So!" She turned, and her friend immediately nodded determinedly.

"If that's the case!" he shouted, "Then we'll be doing the same for Anzu!"

Gekkou smiled almost coldly at the shout, nodding and looking back to the others. "You heard him Richie," he said flatly. "He'll fight just as hard for our own side to oppose yours."

"_So it seems_," Scott muttered. "_Good. Follow me_," he decided, turning down the hall and back up the stairs. "_The battle field is this way._" As they slowly walked away, leaving Keith's motionless and beaten form none noticed the twitch it gave. Nor the shadows that seemed to reach out from his deck before the man himself stood and smirked...

And then continued on the path he'd planned on taking to begin with.

* * *

If there were any words to describe the arena that Scott and Richie had led them to, Yugi was fairly certain they would all by synonyms for 'big'. It was obviously meant for dueling, unlike the halls and rooms they'd traveled through. A testing hall most likely.

And on one end beside the door their opponents stood, staring down those who 'could not pass'.

"This is it!" Richie shouted to them. "The final field... You have tenacity kid, I'll give you that. You've already reached the last to Professors in the building- everyone else is gone!" Gone? Then that meant...

"If you're the last two," Yugi asked, "Does that mean Jonouchi-kun has already reached the top?"

There was a pause, Richie's smile seemingly frozen on his face. It soon began to grow however, sending a chilled feeling down his spine as it reached horror-movie proportions. "The top?" Richie repeated, breaking into laughter. "Hahah_ahHA_! As if! Too bad about that though," he continued with a shaking head. "But the route those morons are on is a dead-end! No way out!"

"D-Dead..."

"They can't get to Yakou's level!" the duelist shouted, still laughing as the others stiffened and paled. "And by this point they're probably wandering around trying to find an exit! H-hAHAHAAAA!"

"Gh..." And if all but the doors 'forward' were locked, there wouldn't even be one...

"Yugi-san," Gekkou said quietly. "We need to get to Yakou for more than just Anzu now, and quickly," he muttered, the boy nodding in agreement.

"I know... I-"

"Hn!" Yugi looked toward the duelists again, swallowing as Richie spoke. "Don't think you'll be getting anywhere so soon... The arrangements are almost complete!" he laughed, gesturing to the door behind him. "So until Pegasus is back, it'll be you against me- So! Shall we d-"

"...Richie..."

The others turned, tallest of the group dropping his grin a moment to frown. "Eh? What is it Scott?"

A few moments of silence passed, with nothing but a constant stare from Scott to fill the time. "_...I'll fight,_" he said blandly, clicking his duel disk into place and stepping forward with narrowed eyes. "_I'll get rid of them first..._ Yugi Mutou," he continued, raising his voice to a shout with almost narrowed eyes, "_I'll fight you..!_" Eh! "_And I will bury Pegasus' scar of defeat!_"

E-Ehh! What was he even saying! Would it be Scott fighting then?

He couldn't even tell, couldn't someone say something? "N..." Anything? "Nnnnn..." Well, the holograms would be in Japanese at least, right? "Alright then," he began, swallowing. "I..."

"_Aibou..._" AH-!

"_Other me!_" he called to the back of his mind, eyes widening as he froze in place. The spirit seemed to chuckle at his partner's surprise, and the boy sighed in relief. "_You're alright!_"

"_I am_," he said almost simply, appearing to the side with a nod. "_...This duel... I'm ready again_," he told the other, only for his partner to shake his head. "_...Aibou?_"

"_Just leave this to me_," Yugi told the spirit, seemingly nodding to mid air. "_Alright?_"

His other half blinked almost owlishly in response, before gaining a somewhat worried expression. "_Ah- ...If... If it's me you're worried about, I'm alright now,_" he hurriedly choked, "_...Really!_"

"_That's not it,_" he responded, shaking his head. _"...But to you and me... For both of us, Anzu, Jonouchi-kun, and Honda-kun, they're all people to fight for. And I don't want to just watch,_" he went on, pulling out the deck that he'd been prepared to use moments ago. "_So with this deck... It's my turn, alright?_"

The spirit seemed to smile the moment he'd said that, nodding calmly. "_Hn. It's my turn to 'follow' you then,_" he decided, crossing his arms. "_In that case, I'll make sure Jonouchi and the others are alright. But Aibou,_" the other Yugi continued, still smiling, "_Remember- despite the location, I'm always with you when you fight... Just as you are for me!_"

"_Other me..._"

"_I leave this to you,_" he called out, a reassuring grip on his shoulder before the ghost turned. "_You can do this!_"

"_Right!_" In that case...

The cards of his deck shuffled, Yugi's eyes clearing just in time for Gekkou to lean over somewhat from behind with another whispered warning. "...Yugi-san," he said quietly, eyes trained on the one across from them. "By your country's ranking method, Depre is ranked just under the first seat of the Professor's guild. He is not 'Second' without reason," he added warningly. "And there is an extremely large gap between himself and those beneath him in rank. Be careful," Gekkou told him, the boy merely nodding confidently as he stepped forward.

"I will- don't worry, Gekkou-kun." He continued forward a few more steps, Anzu hovering behind him as they both looked across to where Scott stood. It would be strange, playing against someone he didn't understand... But even so.

"_...Yugi,_" Anzu said from behind, the boy turning as his friend rubbed her arm. A silence drifted between the pair, and each one looked nervously away from each other. "_...I guess I can't really stay and watch with the duel disk... Can I?_" she said somewhat awkwardly, eyes drifting down to the 'soul card' on the disk. "_...I mean... You might need that spot so..._"

"Just a little longer... Only a little, I promise. Okay Anzu?" he told her with a whisper.

There were tears dotting his eyes again, not that he noticed. Anzu herself was staring at them, her strong smile breaking at the sight. Yugi's smile had faded but it was still there in a way, if only for support.

That was probably the only reason that Anzu's was still there. "No matter what, I promise..."

"..._Right_," she responded, nodding as the card was pulled off the disk. Her body instantly began to fade, her last words hovering on the wind. "_...I believe in you, Yugi..._" Anzu...

...Only a little longer... Just a little, he told himself again. Just...

"... I'm ready," he called out, Anzu's card safely tucked away in the now empty deck holder on his side. "Let's start, Scott!"

Scott almost eerily enough, merely 'smiled' at that. He couldn't really tell if it was a smile or not actually- though the expression was close it seemed almost as though his face had forgotten how to do it properly, instead spitting out something from a horror movie. He was shaking as well, a low chuckle over the air...

Something that actually had Richie stiffen and step back with a pale and shocked expression on his face. "_Let's go_!" he shouted, the common English phrase thankfully used enough in media just about everywhere for his opponent to know what he'd said. "_DUEL_!"

"I'll go first!" Yugi announced, hand already prepared before his opponent could even speak. "And I summon the Toy Soldier!" The holographic monster appeared in a flash, though as Yugi looked over the card that had appeared behind it he blinked. The letters were unfamiliar, if only for a moment. He quickly realized their origin however. "...English?"

"So that your opponent knows what you've played," Gekkou explained from behind, his friend turning to look back and listen. "The disk automatically detects the regional settings of the opponent's disk before compensating," he went on. "Scott's cards should read in Japanese to you."

Which meant they wouldn't have to understand each other's announced moves beyond standard phases... "Right..." That worked out he supposed. "I'll set one card face down and end my turn then," he decided, the hologram shimmering just behind the puppet-like soldier he had on the field. "Ah... '_Your move_'..!"

"_My turn_," his opponent muttered, drawing his card almost as slow as he spoke. "_...I set one card face down_," Scott began, the combined mix of known phrases and appearing holograms 'translating' for his opponent. "_Following that, Ibva Abductor_!" E-Ehh! As quickly as he could read the card Yugi's opponent explained the effect, the boy swallowing as his holographic soldier began marching to the other end of the field. "_By discarding one hand, I activate his special effect... Abduction._" Abduct..? His eyes hurriedly skimmed the rest of the card, and he paled. Aaaaaaahh...

Crap! "T-Toy Soldier!" he found himself shouting, reaching out only to flinch as the monster raised his cork gun upward from the opponent's end. Oh shoot...

"_The Soldier will do whatever IBVA does..._" Scott explained, the words rendered somewhat redundant with the sight of the field. "_...So... Let's go,_" he announced. "_...Direct attack the player!_" Tch!

The monsters began to charge and even without the cue he realized what Scott had shouted. "Activate face down card!" he announced, clicking the button on the disk as a wall of sand rose up between himself and the monsters. "The Field Spell 'Fortress of Sand'; allowing me to invalidate up to 3000 points of damage!" The two attacks tore enormous chunks from the fortress, both creatures returning to the opposite side of the field while Yugi peered through the castle's wall. Only 500 points were left after the strike...

He'd barely made it. "_So the damage was passed to the field card... Very shrewd..."_ Scott muttered, his opponent attempting to pay the half-misunderstood words no mind for the moment. "_...Hmm... ...Turn end..._"

There... He'd said it! "My turn!" The card he drew was looked over only a moment before he nodded to himself, grabbing two others from his hand. "I set two cards face down," he began, before taking the newest on he'd drawn. As the holograms appeared so to did a robed and armed 'child', an oversized sword sitting on his shoulder as he peered out from between a crack in his helm. "I then summon the Silent Swordsman Level 0! Turn end!"

His opponent nodded, eyes trained on the swordsman and on the card just behind it. At the moment Scott would likely have realized the potential power the swordsman had- with the power he gained each standby phase, the swordsman would very soon become a threat after all. Scott would make his move in just a moment, he was sure...

And with a chilled shiver he had a feeling that the cards he'd set would very soon come to use themselves. "_Set another face down card on the field..._" he began, the card appearing just as spirals of light began to surround the other monsters. "_And I tribute both my monsters..._" he continued, setting the next card as a fearsome grey creature rose up at his side, "_Summoning this... The invader from the beyond... ZETA RELUCTANT!_" Zeta-!

The card swung up but his eyes were trained on the monster itself, its holographic but nonetheless sharp teeth towering above him. The 'king of invaders'. 500 points of power would be invalidated from a direct attack, but that wouldn't be near enough with a battle from this thing!

"_Scorch the Silent Swordsman,_" Scott snarled, the glow from Zeta's mouth telling him quite clearly what 'scorch' was. "_Zeta Reluctant... ATTACK..! PLASMA BLASTER!_"

From Zeta's jaws came a heated and glowing ray, charging forth with all the power of the sun. It came toward the swordsman, who hovered behind his sword, bracing himself... "Gh... Activate face down!" he called, "Turn Jump!" Swirling light surrounded the swordsman in an instant, and with an enormous blade he cut through the attack with ease. By the effect of the spell they were three turns ahead now... Three levels and 1500 attack points! "The Silent Swordsman levels up," Yugi continued with a swallow, blinking as the light in the room seemed to dim from around them. "And he counters! Cut through the alien!" he ordered, the monster charging with a nod. "And counter attack with the Silent Blade!"

"_Trap activate_!" Ackkk! The targeted monster vanished in a blast of light just as the blade threatened to strike, a metal device twinkling innocently behind it. In the resulting glare and immediate fade he found his vision filled with spots... Filled with nothing but darkness while he tried to make sense of his opponent's words. "_Inter-dimensional Matter Transporter!_" The blade slammed directly into the ground, sword digging a notch into it as Zeta reappeared to the side. Scott's eyes fell directly over the monster's face, and Yugi wondered just briefly if their eyes had actually met.

But that couldn't be right could it, he asked himself as Scott muttered something in English. To see the monsters as they were was rare enough...

But to see more than your own? On the next turn he told himself, his swordsman jumping to his side of the field, Silent Swordsman would gain another level and another dose of power. But something told him Scott had prepared for that.

Yugi again swallowed as he stared ahead, eyes straining in the psychological darkness the blasts had forced on him. It was strange... By now his vision should have been clear, and he should have been able to see perfectly! So what...

"_...Don't worry..._" Scott murmured, cold eyes staring forward. His opponent looked up, and the teen continued. "_...Look around..._" W-What?

Look around? (That was what he'd said, right?) Yugi stiffened as his attention was drawn to the room itself, his eyes having adjusted while distracted. Dark, he realized coldly. It was...

"_It's not an electrical failure,_" Scott continued, the only real word Yugi recognized being 'electric'. "_The lights are going out... But don't worry..._" his opponent assured him, streams of stardust and hovering planets beginning to appear around them. _"Your eyes will get used to it..._" Yugi again swallowed, bringing his eyes back as they fell on a card Scott now gestured to. 'Cosmic Space', it read.

Field spell. So then... This was the void of space! The boy's eyes widened as they read over the description, Scott's barely understood words sending a wave of fear over him.

"_Just before you activated your Turn Jump..._" he explained stonily, "_Cosmic Space activated... It overrode Fortress of Sand_," he continued, Yugi just now noticing the vanished wall that had sat by his feet, "_And each monster on the field was given a 'Life Star' for each level._" The cards words, not that Yugi realized it, were effectively identical to what Scott was saying now. And as he looked toward his monster's card, a single star shining on the cover from its former four, he paled- immediately catching onto what the card and Scott both were telling him now. "_Our monsters lost three stars thanks to turn jump... And they lose one each time the opponent's turn ends. You won't survive long in the void of space,_" Scott sneered, his opponent slowly beginning to shake. "_Once all stars are gone the monster is destroyed... Say 'Goodbye',_" he taunted.

"'Turn... End..." The star on the Swordsman's card faded, and with wide eyes the monster turned back. His hologram began to smoke and fade away, and though he never spoke...

'_Sorry..._' Swordsman...

He was completely obliterated, this... This was...

"_When you took Pegasus from us you left me with nothing... Allow me to do the same to you.._." He didn't need to know English to catch the gist of that statement.

This battle, while he knew would be difficult, had just become much more challenging.

* * *

As distant sands finally faded from the back of his mind, Katsuya could hear voices.

"_Wake up..._"

And now that he could hear these voices, he had a nasty feeling of dread developing in the back of his mind. Not because of what he necessarily felt for the moment (Oh god his HEAD!), but more what he was hearing specifically.

"_Jonouchi, wake up..._"

"_Wake up..._"

"_Get up..._"

"_Katsuya-nii..._"

"_Wake up..._"

Like distant spirits the voices were faint, barely audible to his subconscious mind. They were far off and calling, reaching, pulling him forward and the louder they grew the greater his dread became. This did not change the fact that they existed however, and the fact was that the last time he'd heard this...

Well, it hadn't been good. "Nggg..." Shit he thought to himself, slowly fumbling and pulling himself up from where he'd managed to dizzily collapse upon the ground. "Crap..." It happened again.

"_Ah, you're awake..!_" Right down to Yugi being there to see damn it.

Katsuya's eyes blearily opened for the second time that day, hands either on the wall or on his head as he tried to stand up. "Damn... Th' hell hit me," he muttered wearily, only to blink when he spotted Yugi. Or rather, he noticed almost dully, the 'other' one. "...Ahhhh... Weren' you sittin' in th' back 'f th' puzzle or somethin'?" he asked confusedly, the spirit merely shrugging in response.

The others blinked, the shortest of them frowning. "...Katsuya-nii?"

“U-Um, is he perhaps concussed?” Ah shit, that was Reiko wasn't it-

Honda sighed, his friend briefly looking over to where Mokuba and Reiko both were eying Yugi's 'empty space' in narrow-eyed confusion. "We probably shouldn't ask," he muttered. "...Seems like a good idea to me at least..."

The look Honda received for his efforts was expected really, given who he was talking to. While Reiko herself looked incredibly anxious, Mokuba's glare was dryer than a desert.

"Errr..." Katsuya coughed, watching as the look, along with a fairly nervous one from Honda, were turned on him. Even the other Yugi seemed a little blank-faced actually- if only because he had that wide-eyed 'what's going to happen next' expression that was made even better by the fact that no one else could see him. "H-Hey Mokuba," Katsuya managed to wheeze out. "Ah... ...Abou' th' thing... Um..."

"The 'collapsing' thing," Honda quickly choked, giving his friend one last look before continuing on. "Probably just hungry, happens all the time!" The others turned.

"...What..."

“O-Oh...goodness, that seems a little dangerous...”

So... No seizures then? Just collapsing? He again found himself coughing as Honda elbowed him, eyes narrowed. "Unless you want either of them worrying more," he hissed. Uh...

That was a good point actually. That was a_ very_ good point, actually, ahh...

Mokuba didn't buy it. "You still haven't told me why you actually collapsed! And the elbow thing was pretty obvious," he grumbled, crossing his arms with a scowl. Actually yeah, it was. Errrrr...

“Wait, so it's a different medical condition?” He really needed to apologize to Reiko after this, huh.

"Like Honda said," he told the boy, rubbing his head with a laugh and paying the poor girl no mind. "Jus' a dizzy spell, y' know? Been duelin' all ev'ning!"

Mokuba seemed to jump at that, eyebrows shooting upward. "Oh yeah, I was going to ask about that..." Ah shit, if he had to explain supernatural shit in front of someone else- The boy quickly scowled, looking toward the dueldisk. "That's not your dueldisk," the boy began, Katsuya briefly wondering if that point was really relevant right now. "And should you really be doing this against card professors after what happened in Battle City? I mean..." He closed his mouth, gaining a fairly uncomfortable look of unease at the thought of the event.

He was going to have to explain wasn't he. “...I...it's probably not my place but what happened in Battle City? I...know there was apparently a murder, but...” Oooooh they definitely weren't going into that part!

Katsuya sighed. "Tha'..." Well... It was a close call with the mantises, but... Hey, whatever right! "I'll be fine," he laughed, waving a hand. "Honest!"

"But... It's not a game any more!" he protested, a thick scowl set into his face. What... The others stared, false grins and comforting smiles fading with the growing silence. "Katsuya-nii... Nee-sama's really worried about you," he continued weakly, shaking his head. "Why do you think she even left to begin with?" Wh...

The matter of why Mokuba wasn't keeping the secret in front of Reiko could wait, he decided. Reiko didn't even look surprised actually- her focus was entirely on the blond. So instead his mind latched onto what Mokuba had finished with.

"What..."

"_...What?_" Damn it Yugi, not now.

The boy sighed, turning as he looked toward the next door. "Well... I don't really know what she thinks completely but... She used your first name you know," he whispered, the eyes of those listening widening even more. She...

She used... "WHAT-!" Honda exclaimed, only for a hand to cover his mouth. "MNM!"

"Shh," Katsuya hissed, before turning back to Mokuba. "...She... She used m' firs' name?"

Perhaps it was the sheer shock in his voice, but Mokuba's unease seemed to completely vanish with the question. "Heheheee..." He grinned. "Yep! She keeps slipping with it and correcting herself when people notice! It's hilarious! But even so," he went on with a frown. "I'm not the only one who wants you to stay alive, got it? ...So tell me why you really collapsed!" Why he really-

AAA_AAAGH _Looks like he hadn't forgotten about that one, crap! Katsuya grimaced, briefly turning to meet the gaze of a more spiritual friend. "_...Well?_" he asked 'expectantly', gesturing to Mokuba. "_Go on then, I'd like to know too you know._"

"Yeah, but I almos' wonder who want's t' know more," he muttered, ignoring the sputtered 'OI!' from behind. For a moment, he glanced at their 'odd one out'- “You...'m I gonna have t' explain extra t' you or...”  
  
At this the girl flustered, coughing quietly. “Oh- No, it's quite fine...I get the feeling I should just ask about anything I don't understand later...” Well that made things easier he supposed but...

Katsuya sighed, looking back to his friend. How to start. Well... "...Mokuba... Abou' th' duelin' stuff..."

"If it's not exhaustion," the boy cut in, biting his lip, "At least tell me why you won't say... Please?"

More awkward silence came as a result. "...Because this won' happen again," Katsuya responded eventually. "I promise yah on m' life, it won' happen again."

"..._That doesn't tell me anything_," Yugi muttered with a scowl.

"Nope," he answered with a whispered smirk, expression quickly replaced with the serious one yet again as Honda turned.

"...Jonouchi," he whispered, taking considerable care to keep out of earshot of Mokuba this time.. "Hate to say it, but... How the hell can you promise that to him?" he asked. “Even Reiko figured it out after you went down,” he added- Reiko in particular quietly asking Mokuba if there was something she could do to help in the meantime.

There was no response for the moment, Katsuya's eyes resting on Mokuba as the boy stared back. The lack of conversation didn't matter in this case- it was trust that was key. Trust, faith...

And while Mokuba seemed to narrow his eyes, studying the expression on the blond's face he eventually sighed. "...Alright," he said quietly, looking to the ground and taking a deep breath. "Okay. But... Katsuya-nii," he added with a stern frown. "If you do anything stupid that makes nee-sama upset-"

"More than usual y' mean?" he cut in with a grin.

The boy huffed. "Mnnnn... You know what I mean!" he growled, ignoring the awkward cough from the side. "Just don't do it..!"

"I won't, I won't," he laughed, moving on to walk toward the next door. "Wasn' plannin' on it ev'n without th' warning!"

"I don't think anyone would..."

"That would certainly be the wiser option."

“Should...I maybe go ahead? Let you three finish..?” Hahahaha...

What the hell were they trying to say dammit. "_ANY_ways!" he shouted, cutting any other mumbles of obvious 'rules', "There's somewhere we're s'pposed t' be righ'?"

"_Right... Actually, about that_," the other Yugi coughed, only briefly taking Katsuya's attention. "_You see, apparently you can't get to the top floor from here, and..._"

"Eh, we weren' headin' up," he told the ghost, Mokuba raising an eyebrow.

"Um... What was that?" he asked, the answer filled in before Katsuya could even open his mouth.

"Yeah... Did we mention that the 'other Yugi' can apparently float around now, unseen to many unsuspecting innocents?" Honda asked sarcastically, Reiko mouthing 'other Yugi?' behind him. The somewhat upset 'smirk' faded, and he shrugged. "He's talking to him now- that or 'our' Yugi," he added, the spirit in question giving his friend an unseen look.

"_Unsuspecting innocents?_"

"Awwwww, he's just sore cause he can't see 'm," Katsuya laughed, throwing an arm around Honda's shoulders.

"You're talking to thin air," he protested through a groan. "That's not 'sore' that's creeped out, idiot!"

"_Why are we going downstairs in the first place?_" asked the 'other' Yugi, a slight frown on his face. "_Aibou is fighting as we speak... Why would you stop before you even knew where the door was?_"

For a moment Katsuya paused, simply turning to the spirit with a smirk that managed to freeze a look of confusion on his fading friend's face. "B'cause," he responded. "...Tha's where Anzu'll be."

How he knew, none of the others asked- by this point... It was almost expected that Katsuya simply 'knew' about certain things. But those words alone were enough for the ghost to nod and vanish from sight completely evidently, and when the blond looked back the spirit was gone. There was nothing to worry about here for him after all.

It was time to focus on what happened above.

* * *

Space.

A vast and expansive vacuum that held more death than it likely did life, and yet it was filled with wondrous visions such as distant stars and galaxies, planets of variant size and form, all glittering or glowing far off in the distant if they were visible at all.

And 'space' was what would destroy him if he didn't find a solution soon. Across from him Scott was chuckling, muttering something in English. He had a feeling he could guess at what he was saying though, despite never really paying attention in class. Probably mentioning how he had no monsters... How it was his turn, and how he was 'waiting'...

"Gh..." Even if he summoned a high-level monster, he wouldn't be able to remove the limited time it would have on the field. The battle's favor had changed completely- where he'd held the advantage, it was almost completely gone. So in that case... "One card face down," he decided, the hologram flashing beside his previously set card. "Next, the Toy Magician in Defense Mode!" Similarly modeled to the soldier the magician arose, block-like puppet limbs gripping a staff tightly in his hand. With a clacking noise the monster looked back to its summoner, before nodding- evidently, though it could not speak, it was more than willing to pass along its own form of greeting.

"_Hmph_." Across from him Scott snorted, expression yet unchanged. "_So all you can do is... Summon small fry monsters..._" All he recognized was 'small' and 'monsters' in that sentence...

...Somehow, he could still guess at what his opponent said regardless though, and all it did was make him feel even more uneasy. "...End turn," he managed to announce, swallowing as he fixed a competitive glare toward his opponent. "_Your move_."

His opponent merely nodded, drawing his next card. "_Hn. ...Summon another monster..._" he decided, the form of an almost cloth like creature framed in bone coming into Yugi's sight. It's skull head sat upon the very center, and four stars swirled upon the curtain. "_Lyra the Giver... His special effect,_" Scott explained, his opponent reading his very words from the card on the field, "_Is to give another monster his lifestars..._" Give the other monster...

Oh no-!

"_I'm going,_" Scott announced, Yugi taking in a deep breath. Zeta only had two stars left, but if Scott gave him all of Lyra's-! "_Zeta attacks..._" the teen called out, a blast of light heading directly toward the Magician on the field. "_PLASMA BLASTER!_"

"Trap activate!" he countered in panic, "Toy Box!" As Scott's face twisted just slightly in confusion he sighed, watching as the Magician he had on the field vanished into the box that came in his place. "He's safe for now," he continued, almost partially to himself. The blast of plasma rolled over the box completely while the face on its side grimaced. And in the aftermath the most that happened was his Magician propping the lid open to pull a few faces at his opponent's monster, blowing wooden, blocky raspberries at them from afar. "No attacks can reach the monsters in the Toy Box," Yugi shouted clearly, narrowing his eyes. "Nor can the effects of your spell! I'll place one more monster in the toy box for now," he continued, slipping a facedown card beneath the spell. "So what will you do now?"

As Scott stared in silence the boy found his gaze drifting down toward what was in his hand, an uneasy chill again passing over him. The only thing he had in his hand now was Polymerization. There were no monsters at all let alone high level ones available to him right now, and in 'space' this could mean death. And if he didn't get anything now, he could very well be left defenseless, wasting the other monsters in the box. So...

"_My turn ends..._" his opponent decided, free arm limp at his side. "_...Draw your card..._" Tch...

Alright then! "My turn!" he called out, pulling his next card. And it was...

…

"Nnh..." It was a highlevel monster, true. But not powerful enough to combat Zeta. Even so... "I return one monster from the Toy Box to the field," he announced, the small tank he'd moved there from his hand appearing on the field. "Next... I offer this monster as sacrifice to summon this! The Dark-Red Enchanter!"

The monster appeared in a swirl of red, helm shadowing his eyes as he looked forward. Across from him however his opponent merely laughed; though whatever he said went misunderstood after all, it was obvious that he'd only done this with need for a shield. The Enchanter was just barely under the power of Zeta...

So with a bit lip, he continued. "The Enchanter enters defense mode," he called out, switching the card and watching as the monster braced itself for attack. He had a card that could add power but this wasn't the time- Lyra would still be there and Zeta's effect would summon two tokens primed for sacrifice- he couldn't risk it. "End turn!" And with that, Zeta had no life-stars left...

While his opponent seemed to quake with rage. "_...You... Hesitated..._" he hissed, fist clenching as the monster behind him smoked from existence and into two separate monsters. "_You didn't attack... ...So this is all that 'this' Yugi is capable of then?_" he snarled, the boy merely flinching under the combined force of Scott's glare and his harsh and foreign comments. "_I'll summon something different... Something better than your half-assed monster..._" he continued, moving the cards as the just summoned tokens began to fade again. "_Watch... I sacrifice my two tokens to summon this.. The monster whose greed becomes his life-blood,_" Scott sneered. "_GREED QUASAR!_"

The monster that appeared looked almost like a skull, an enormous triangular skull with a pointed horn- its true head- poking from the top. Bone-like arms hung from beneath the top points of the triangle, and in the very center a row of razor sharp teeth sat beneath the 'eyes' of the beast. And as Scott now explained, the card doing the same, Quasar's power was not predetermined. It was calculated by the number of lifestars in its possession, multiplied by 300. Currently he had 2100 points of power. But now...

"_...Activate Lyra's effect..._" Scott called, a shower of stars soaring from the black curtain and around Quasar's body. "_Giving two of Lyra's stars to Quasar..._" Which meant that Lyra had two turns left...

And Quasar had six hundred more attack points!

"_Lets go... Greed Quasar's attack_!" he roared, clawed hands flexing in the air as power grew around them. "_DEVOUR HIM!_" Devour-

Wait, what! The hologram's hands shot forward, and with wide and horrified eyes Yugi watched as they coiled around his now struggling enchanter. As though electrified by some hidden power the formerly invisible details of the attacking monster could be seen. The yellowed hue of the bone that formed it, the faded and nauseating colour of stretching sinews forming its arms... With a sickening crack the Quasar's jaw opened, Yugi only able to stiffen and pale with shock and fear both.

The monster's 'eyes' now glowed with power, and from the back of its throat could be seen a deep abyss... But Quasar didn't wait to swallow the monster whole. Instead with an echoing crunch it bit down on the midsection and shoulders of the trapped Enchanter... Tossing the remaining limbs into his mouth as Yugi's eyes somehow widened further than they already had.

"Eaten," he managed to whisper. "He was... E... Eaten..." And what was worse...

If what the card said was right... "_Greed Quasar's effect activates_," Scott announced, his monster snarling before it reverted to it's 'dead' appearance. "_He absorbs the lifestars of all he defeats... He now has 14 stars,_" he continued, his opponent literally shaking in his shoes. "_His attack power... ...Is 4200...!_" F-Forty... Two hundred... "_It doesn't matter what trash you summon..._" Scott spat. "_Your servants will all fall into the Quasar's maw..._" He...

He didn't even know what he was saying, just stop! "This isn't good," Gekkou muttered, his own eyes wide with horror as well. "Even if it decreases each turn, the power is still more than enough to blast through a shield... And by absorbing the stars of those shields..." Space...

Space wasn't a place meant for monsters like this he found himself thinking, unaware of how similar the thought was to his opponent's words at that moment. It just wasn't possible, to win in this situation! Scott cackled from in front of him, expression almost as demonic as his monster's own. He'd only done this because Anzu was there, because he had to fight for her, he had to...

"_Are you going to call him?_" Scott asked, his opponent looking up in confusion. "_...The other Yugi?_" 'Oth-' Other? He was asking about the other him? The boy swallowed, and Scott continued. "_I heard... That in Pegasus' Duelist Kingdom finals... You fought with another personality... Another Yugi,_" he continued, Yugi himself only barely piecing together what he heard. "_Switch!_" he ordered, shaking his head in disgust. "_I know your level and I'm done with you... Switch out, now- at least then... I'll have my vengeance for Pegasus..._" That...

That... He looked down, closing his eyes.

'Switch'.

Scott knew of the spirit in the puzzle and now he wanted him to switch out. He was losing- and Scott wanted to test himself against a bigger challenge. And as it seemed, just as he'd silently wondered during the tournaments in the past, he really wasn't of 'competitive' level. It was all...

It was all... "_Aibou,_" he heard someone call, head snapping up to attention before sinking down in a daze. "_Aibou,_" his other self repeated, appearing before him and blocking sight of the opponent across the field. "_...Are you alright?_" the other Yugi asked, his lighter half unable to meet his gaze for long.

"_...Other me,_" he mentally whispered, head bowed yet again. "_I..._" His other-self stared, before nodding and placing a strong hand on the boy's shoulder.

"_It's alright,_" he told him, the sensation of displacement coming over Yugi as his body was occupied by the spirit of the puzzle. "_I understand._" Under-

Ah! "_Other me,_" he protested nervously, appearing at the side in a haze. "_I... It... I'm not... I just..._"

"Hnhnhnhn..." He shook his head, eying the boy with a smile. "Don't worry... Just watch," he whispered, turning back to the field. Scott had, for a moment, done nothing but taunt them in English. Unlike the lighter half of the pair, he would have to focus on more than just lessons to glean what he was saying.

But Yugi's memories were enough for his other to know what had to be done.

"So," he called out, the smile on his face becoming a dark and challenging smirk. "You think my partner and I are weak, do you?" As Scott's face momentarily fell, the smirk grew. "Listen close, understand? My partner is a thousand times more the duelist you will ever be... And he doesn't need my help to destroy you!"

"_What was that-!_" While Scott tensed the spirit of Yugi's lighter half stared, turning to his partner with wide eyes.

"_O-Other me!_" The boy ignored him, merely watching as Scott continued.

"_I can only guess that you're 'angry',_" he muttered, expression unchanging. "_Coming out all this way... To find your other half's spirit is already broken... He's lost his will to fight..._" he spat bitterly, "_And it's obvious... You, the 'other' Yugi, should fight me instead..._" 'Other'? As the other Yugi gleaned his partner's mind he realized immediately what their opponent was talking about and chuckled.

"Hnhnhn... Is that so?" he murmured, shaking his head before pointing forward with a smirk. "I already told you- he doesn't need my help! He has a partner in this duel, but it isn't me this time. Prepare yourself," he continued, forcing himself back out of control with a challenging grin. "You haven't seen anything yet!"

"_What!_" Meeting Scott's momentarily confused gaze were not the eyes of the 'other Yugi' now- instead, with courage renewed and wide eyes set with determination, it was again the one Scott had started the duel against. "_So,_" he muttered with narrowed eyes. "_I'm stuck with you then..._" If what Scott had said was concerning the fact that he wouldn't fight the other Yugi then he was right- he wouldn't.

Because he had told the other Yugi, told Gekkou, told everyone that he would fight. That he would fight in order to save Anzu and stop Yakou's plan- and if he turned back now, then it would be as though he never even tried. No matter what, he assured himself.

No matter what, he had to fight!

And Scott, who was now making his move, seemed to realize this. "_If that's the case,_" he was snarling, mannerisms almost reminding his opponent of the Battle City match with Kaiba, "_This is where you lose! I play one card face down,_" Scott announced as the hologram flashed into being, "_And then end my turn... After I'm done with you,_" he continued, narrowing his eyes, "_I'll drag your 'other self' out myself... And I'll destroy you both! Now!_"

"My turn," Yugi cried, drawing his next card as he attempted to pay the half-understood words no mind. His other self was still behind him, watching. 'You put that deck together on your own,' he was telling him. 'These monsters are yours, and only yours. They, and the cards you built this deck with, will be your partner for this duel!' Right...

And now, as he looked over the card in his hand...

He had a way to finish this. "I play one card face down, and then end my turn," he announced, swallowing uneasily. He knew that with what he had now he could win. But the moves that would be made to do so would do more than just hurt 'a little'.

"_One card face down on an empty field..._" Scott observed, narrowing his eyes. "_Not even a high level monster to defend yourself... Pathetic..._" Gh...

He had to get the opponent that couldn't speak Japanese didn't he?

"_My turn,_" the teen went on, drawing his next card. Again, the teen was muttering under his breath, Yugi left with nothing but wild guesses as to what he was saying. Scott's eyes seemed to flicker over his traps only briefly- likely to contemplate what possible issues could arise from the cards across him, but just as quickly he moved on. "_Let's finish this_," he growled, pointing the enormous monster behind him forward. "_I summon Eva Epsilon in attack mode_," he began, an odd triangular creature with almost lobster-like claws coming to the field. "_And now... ...I begin my battle phase! GREED QUASAR_!" Scott roared, his opponent bracing himself with the monster's name. "_Attack,_" he cried, "_With PROMINENCE NAPALM!_" Here it came!

The alien demon's mouth cracked open yet again, and despite its holographic form he could see the fires gathering in its mouth. They shot across the field with all the force of the very name behind it, and as he stumbled back beneath it he choked and coughed on the 'solid' light that had blown through to his lungs. "GGGH- ...Hhaaaah... Ahhh..."

Four hundred points was all he had left now, but even as he fell shakily to one knee it was worth it. His eyes seemed almost dead to the field with the shock his body was in- as though the game itself was berating him for how stupid it was to take such a direct hit. "Y-Yugi-san!" Gekkou called out, taking a step forward before stopping himself in his tracks. The boy was breathing raggedly, body even seeming to steam in the face of the incredible attack. "Yugi-san!"

And amid it all, his opponent simply laughed. "Hnhnhn... HnhnHAHAHAAA! I don't believe it!" he howled, eyes wide with cruel and even frightening mirth. "You took the attack dead on! HnhnHAAAA!" The laughter slowly died off, and with a look of triumphant rage Yugi's opponent continued with his play. "This... This is it!" Scott roared, pointing his final monster forward just as Yugi tapped a key on his duel disk. "Eva Epsilon attacks as well! GO-"

Now.

-_clack_

As the boy slowly rose to his feet the Toy Box on the field smoked and faded from sight, replaced by the glowing Toy Magician. The staff blocked Epsilon's clawed 'hand' with ease- and after getting over his initial shock, Scott's mild disgust was more than evident.

"_So,_" he muttered, eyes filled with distaste. "_The Toy Magician finally comes out from his hiding place..._" Yes... He did.

And standing up with shaking legs, Yugi pointed his monster forward to continue with his move. "Hah... The Toy Magician counters!" he shouted weakly, the mage in question swinging Epsilon's claw from his staff before taking aim with the same device. "Now... BLOCK DEMOLITION!" Lines began to appear over Epsilon's body from the point where Toy Magician's staff connected with his skull. They began to crack, click...

And in a single burst the monster broke into puzzle pieces, each one smoking away as Scott's points dropped by an almost minimal amount. "Gh..." With the attack finished Yugi told himself, the other card could now activate. These were the final moments...

Whatever words Scott shouted now were useless- He heard the name of his monster, along with the name of Greed Quasar but it was all useless, and as Scott's eyes fell on the Magician who was now well equipped for battle he frowned. "_...What's he doing?_" he muttered, watching as the magician clenched his fists and began to shake and glow. "_Shaking... You're not going to tell me he's shaking with anger... Because I wounded his master are you?_" He couldn't answer that question unfortunately- he didn't even know what he'd said.

But that didn't mean he couldn't speak at all, and with narrowed eyes and a cold tone he steadied himself for what was next. "I activated my face down card," he announced, gesturing to the hologram as Scott paled.

"_That... But that card is-!_"

"The Trap Equip card, 'Fit of Rage'," Yugi unknowingly finished, his Magician gripping his staff and taking aim. "With the effects of this card, the Toy Magician gains as many attack points as I lost in life points this turn... Giving him a total of 5200!" he continued, his own fists clenched as his opponent stared. "We'll stop you!" he shouted determinedly, voice echoing through the room. "Even if you burn us to nothing but ashes, even if you kill us now, we WILL save Anzu!"

"_Will you now?_" Scott asked, evidently able to understand his opponent perfectly despite not speaking a word of it the entire time. "_...That equip card is nothing..._" he continued with narrowed eyes. "_When I end this turn... The Toy Magician's added attack will drop by half... Leaving him with a mere 3400 points... And to contrast,_" he continued, opponent's eyes drawn to the holographic card on the field, "_The defeated Eva Epsilon's effect now activates... Leaving Greed Quasar with 14 lifestars. Even at the end of this turn, with only 13,_" Scott laughed, "_He'll still have 3900 attack points... Your puny monster's rage isn't worth a thing,_" he sneered. "_And there is nothing that can save you now..._"

Who knew what Scott had just told him- even if he understood he wasn't listening. Instead, he could hear his other half's voice in the back of his mind, the spirit having almost painfully been blown away by the previous attack. "_Aibou!_" he called out, a confident and assuring stare 'visible' even from behind. The spirit had not yet reappeared from the puzzle's depths, but his voice was more than clear enough for him to hear. "_Your monster's rage... It hasn't been completely spent just yet!_"

"_Exactly!_" He nodded. "Now!" he called aloud, activating the final trap. "Activate trap... Strike Back! This card," he announced, watching as Scott's expression went white with horror, "Allows me to conduct my battle phase during your turn! The Toy Magician is still enraged," Yugi shouted almost coldly. "And he's going to attack with all 5200 points of that anger! NOW," he ordered, the monster's staff glowing as he charged forward, "BLOCK DEMOLITION!"

As the Greed Quasar crumbled to pieces Scott was rendered silent in shock. He didn't move, even to blink, and before anyone could speak the time for his turn had passed. The enormous 'demon' of space had fallen...

With plenty of lifestars to spare for the finisher. "It's my turn now," Yugi announced in regard to that, his opponent still completely motionless. "And the Toy Magician attacks directly. Go!" he ordered, the monster's attack point drop still more than enough to finish off the game. There was no need to announce an attack this time- all the Magician did was bring his staff down upon Scott's brow, an eerie after image of a separating and block-like hologram snapping over the teen's form before leaving the real body to crumble onto the ground at his knees. The duel was over.

It was...

It...

It was as though a wave of shock washed over him at that moment. As the space field faded to bring back the nearly blinding light of the room and the remaining cards vanished with the Toy Magician, he found himself in shock. He knew during the match he would win. He had to, for Anzu's sake after all! But now...

As a grin slowly broke over his face, Yugi's other half smiled from behind him. "_Congratulations Aibou,_" he said clearly, moving to stand at his side. "_You did it!_" Yeah... He had.

And this time, it wasn't a carpet duel in his house, or a desk-top battle with Jonouchi. This was a tournament level fight. And rather than watch from the sidelines while his partner fought with all he had...

He'd done it himself.


	8. Taraph

In the darkness of the cavern, the boy feels fear.

It is the first time such a thing has ever happened within these walls, and the fact only serves to intensify this feeling. Though he has become good friends with the apprentice Neker, his friend's words now worry him. He tells him that he should try and prove himself again. That he should show them the dragon again, and that he will stand at his side and strengthen his argument. But the boy protests- the Elders cannot see the Dragon. If they cannot see it, they will only assume that the two are both taking them for fools, and it will not just be the boy who receives punishment as a result.

The dragon as well, had agreed with this standpoint... And with that, it seemed Neker had realized his fault. Neker however did not have a look of honesty in his eyes when he said this.

A fact that the boy and the dragon both realized.

And so late in the evening while the village sleeps, the boy has wandered back through the desert he now knows well and hidden away where no one will look for the moment. The dragon is surprised by his arrival of course- and as he always does in times like this, he tells the boy that he should be in his own home, and in his own bed. But as always the dragon is quick to give in, eventually allowing the boy to remain at his side.

This time however, there are no stories. The boy is too frightened for that, this much the dragon knows. Instead he sits in silence, offering a comfort that no words can give while the moon sits in the sky. So they sit in the sand, with nothing but pale moonlight trickling down through long forgotten mirrors in the ground. Mirrors that have only recently received care from the room's visitors, and have only been polished with what was available. Rough cloth, and spittle.

The silence lasts a long time. It is long past the middle of the evening by the time the boy's mouth opens. When it does open however the dragon is there, and ready to listen. "Dragon," he asks quietly, scarcely able to see in the darkness around them. "...That story... About the 'nameless' things... You said that if they found the same vessel, they could come back," he whispers worriedly. "That they could become one thing again. ...Dragon," he asks, looking up at the shadowed creature sitting with him and continuing to press a curiosity that has been striking him for a number of days now. "When that happens... The Light will stop it again right? Just like it did last time... Right?"

The dragon gives a low rumble, adjusting his position as he bows his head. "_...Sadly child, I must answer no. The stones of light will not be enough when the time comes,_" he warns, shaking his head. "_If anything, they will be powerless before it..._"

"P... Powerless," he repeats with a whisper.

"_Indeed... For if they were to combine again,_" the dragon explains calmly, "_They would regain their names. And I fear child, that in this time the true name of the Light has long since been forgotten... Even by the shadows... That the difference in power would be unimaginable._"

The boy swallows, and though he does not realize it a later version of himself shudders from behind those he walks with. "How is that possible?" the boy whispers with horror, wide eyes bloodshot and filled with betrayed and nervous tears. "You said the Light was strong... The strongest there ever was, that nothing-"

"_I said that Light was strong... When she was whole,_" the Dragon responds, cutting the boy's words short. "_When her name was known to thousands, and when it could be spoken and the sun would rise. But in these sorry times it has been forgotten,_" he laments, "_And her power is as the dust..._" But that...

It can't be possible. The boy simply cannot believe it is possible, and yet there is nothing but truth in the Dragon's eyes. And because of this, the boy falls silent, eyes filled with nothing but fear in the light of what could be. "How can a name... Hold such power?" he eventually asks in whispered tones, looking back to the dragon. "How can a name... Decide so much..? How!"

"_You must never underestimate the importance of a name,_" the Dragon warns, curling a protective wing about his charge. "_The mere utterance can give great power... The power to curse its bearer, the power to protect... With a name alone all of your memories could be locked away... Or even awoken after a millennia of time and rebirth. Without a name, you are not who you are meant to be,_" the shadow continues. "_You are someone else... Perhaps even 'no one'. That is why the nameless must remain nameless_," he tells the boy, his charge so entrapped by the conversation that neither can hear the approaching steps that come from outside the chamber's true door. "_Because without names they are without power. ...But with names..._"

They surpass the darkness itself.

The boy realizes this of his own accord, and bows his head. "To think," he says quietly, "Of something like that happening... I can't..." He doesn't want such a thing to transpire.

He couldn't bear it if it happened, if the light from the sky was torn from existence and replaced with black. The dragon knows this though, and reassures him in the odd manner he typically does so with. "_What does your heart tell you child?_" The boy blinks, but despite his confusion listens as the dragon repeats the question. "_Have you listened to it as you used to?_" he asks knowingly. "_Or have you been blinded by your fear? Your heart will always guide you,_" he continues, looking into the boy's eyes. "_But only if you listen. It will warn you of what is yet to come, but only if you keep your eyes and ears open._"

"...Like the dreams?" he whispers in response.

"_Exactly like the 'dreams'. You have been given a gift,_" the dragon rumbles, lowering his head and neck to curl about the boy. "_A power that was once available to all those with eyes and ears... That you still hear and see is not something to be taken lightly_," he continues. "_For there is always a reason for these things..._"

_ **You just need to find it...** _

* * *

"Ng... Nnhnn..."

As the lights came back on in the room, there was still an obstacle standing in their way. An easy to bypass obstacle for most he was sure. But as the spirit of the puzzle stared he found himself just as silent as all the others in the room, unsure of how to deal with what was in their way.

"Nhhhnhn... Nhaha_haaaa_... Sff... Nhh..."

Though they'd won the battle, neither had moved- they'd merely watched the one across from them tremble and fall to his knees, hands on the ground as he shook and shivered. Strange sounds were coming from the teen's body... And if his eyes were not mistaking him, something fell from Scott's face. But that couldn't be right, could it? That their opponent was...

Crying? "Game over," Gekkou finally said after a moment, the others unable to look away. "We've won this match."

"_Iyah..._" What was that? "_Iyah, Iyah, IYAH _...!" Iy-

Wait, he could speak Japanese this entire time! As the other Yugi tensed Scott continued to shake his head, wide and bloodshot eyes overflowing with tears as he looked up. "I was supposed to win!" he cried, fumbling with his arm and continuing to curl in on himself. "I can't lose, not to you!" he screamed. "I... We... Pegasus-sama is all we have!" he wept, lowering his head once more as a shadow-eyed Richie came from behind. "He's all we have left... It's all your fault!" Yugi stiffened along with his partner this time, and the teen before them cried on. "If you didn't fight him," he wept, "If it wasn't for you he'd have never left! He'd still be here! He... I... I just wanted..." A loud sniff broke the slight silence on the air, followed by a number of choked sobs. "I just wanted to see him," Scott whispered. "Just one more time... Just... One... Nghh.. Hn... Aaaaaaah... HaaaaaA_Aaaaahh_..."

"C'mon Scott," Richie whispered, helping his friend to his feet with a depressed sigh. His friend merely collapsed against the arm with grief, wracked cries silenced only by the coat sleeve his face fell onto. "Come on, lets... ...Hah... ...HEY!" he called back, looking to the hall behind him. To Yugi's surprise two suited men instantly ran in, eyes widening behind their sunglasses as they spotted their apparent employer. "_Hey_," Richie continued in English, the men briefly distracted by the sight of Scott's current state. "_Little help here?_"

The men hurriedly bowed their heads with a nod. "_Yes Mr. Merced._" "_Sorry for the delay, Mr. Merced._"

"Yeah yeah," the man muttered in response, the suits already helping to support the weight of a teen who refused to move. As the pair began carrying him off Richie sighed. "_Just look after him while I deal with these guys..._" The doors closed tightly behind Scott and the suits both, and all three tensed as soon as Richie's gaze was turned back on them. "Well," the American eventually said, switching back to Japanese tongue. "'Mutou Yugi'... The rumours don't lie," he decided. "I think that's the first time I've seen you fight as 'you' and not some other version I caught a glimpse of online."

Though he tensed regardless, the other Yugi almost wondered if he should have be glad to not receive a dry look for the reference to their ID image on Kaiba's duelist database once he realized what Richie was talking about. In the end he supposed the moment was far too tense for that- Richie was in there way, therefore it was time to fight. Yet as he prepared to step in he held himself back-

Yugi's expression was now shifting back into a stony look of determination, his deck shuffling within the disk as he stepped forward. "I beat Depre," he said slowly, speaking both to his partner and the one before them. "And I won't lose to anyone else either- not until we save Anzu!" the boy almost snarled, eliciting a snort from his soon to be opponent.

"_Yeah yeah... Where have I heard that..._" As both Yugis frowned at the English muttering Richie as well narrowed his eyes, pulling a deck from his side and slipping it into the duel disk. "That's how Scott thought too you know," he said bitterly. "To him... No, to all of those that Pegasus-sama raised," he corrected, "That man was something like the sun. Without him, we can't survive, understand? All he wanted," the man hissed, shaking his head. "All he wanted was to see him again... That's all!"

But the dead were dead the spirit found himself thinking distantly, suddenly far more aware of his own status of being. They didn't return to the world of the living...

Not without a price. "...I'm fighting you next then?" Yugi asked, hand hovering over his duel disk to start. To their slight amazement Richie snorted, shaking his head almost in disgust. "If I were fighting for Scott then sure- why not!" he shouted in response. "But I'm not fighting for Scott." Um.

He wasn't?

"I'm fighting for something else," Richie went on, clenching his fist. "Sure, he's a friend of mine, and about as close to a brother as I'll ever get," the man explained. "But I'm not putting my neck on the line for vengeance- not my style," he told them. "We're card professors- if we don't live together then the only time we meet is for battle; we can win, and we can lose, but that's it. Shit happens," he said, "It's our life. But YOU!" he snarled, eyes snapping toward Gekkou as he tensed. "You... You're the one I want to fight," the man spat, disk already in place on his arm. "You're a traitor... You betrayed all of those who Pegasus-sama raised, and THAT is something that I WILL fight for! Come forward!"

The trio swallowed, Gekkou looking to the corporal of the Yugis before looking back. This was their only obstacle; and as it was they could hardly expect to take down someone who could send Keith Howard to the ground if that sort of thing had even registered in their minds. "Gekkou-kun," the boy started, only to watch as his friend stepped forward and switched his own duel disk on.

"I'll handle this Yugi-san," he said curtly. "It doesn't look like we have much choice."

"_Not much is right_," the other Yugi murmured under his breath, arms crossed. "_I wish him luck_." Not that Gekkou would hear that.

The young man took Yugi's place on the field, his cards shuffling on his arm while he spoke. "Richie... I know how you feel about Pegasus-sama. Believe me... I understand your feelings more than anything," he continued clearly, "But we cannot drag others into this! Not Yugi-san, not Mazaki-san... Nor the company whose building we stand in now. This is something that should be dealt with ourselves," Gekkou pressed, fist clenched tight with his words. "But instead Yakou had to involve everyone else in this! And we can't let that go on!"

"Che! And what do we care who we use, or whose things we take," Richie responded callously. "We LIVE for Pegasus-sama... No one else matters if we can get him back!"

"But Pegasus-sama wouldn't have allowed this!" For a moment Richie fell silent at Gekkou's words, but given the stone cold expression on his face it was clear that he wasn't reconsidering his choices.

"Really?" he asked, eyes narrowed with adamant resolve. "Well why don't we ask him when he comes back then?" the man sneered. "Just try and stop us Gekkou... Just try. If we're going to fight," he continued, disk arm held outward, "Then we'd might as well get this over with..."

Across from him Gekkou bowed his head, and in the end nodded in resignation. "Very well," he said lowly. "We duel."

With a single nod it began.

"GO!"

Awful 'nice' of Richie the other Yugi noted, to continue speaking in Japanese despite his opponent being American himself. Before he could voice this however the hands of cards were already set, with Gekkou making the first move. "My turn," he called out, a pair of holograms appearing as he spoke. "First, two cards face down... Following that," he announced, a young cloaked elf with a book in her arms shimmering into being, "The Learning Elf in defense mode!" The elf again the spirit noted, watching as the somewhat life-like hologram hovered in place. Strange...

It seemed that when he wasn't using Yugi's body, he could 'see' clearer, but how...

It was almost like it had been when fighting against the ja-shin...

"Turn end," Gekkou called out, cutting the boy's thought's short. "Your move, Richie!"

"Hm! And I see that you've managed to almost waste yours," the man laughed. "You call that a monster Gekkou? Try clearing out your deck! I draw," he went on, slipping the cards onto his disk while the field glowed. "Same as you, two cards face down... And following that," Richie shouted, "I summon this. Twin Gun Fighter!" he announced, the somewhat puppet like gunman appearing in a flash. "This is a real monster Gekkou... Watch! I attack, with Double Shot!"

"Activate trap," the other countered in response, his words almost expected from the two watching him now. "Reflector!" Inflict damage equal to half the attacking monster to the opponent and negate the attack, the other Yugi read, before snapping his eyes back to the field. A new... Rather, a different equip spell. And... "Equip to the Learning Elf," Gekkou ordered, his audience watching the mosaic mirror appear before the woman to send both fired bullets back from whence they came, "Try again Richie!"

"I think I'll do just that," he responded darkly, tapping the duel disk's button as the bullets approached. "Counter!"

As the card swung upward the bullets impacted, seeming to pass through Richie's body in a spiral of wind and light. The others froze at the sight in shock, but despite the after image of the man literally exploding into nothing but fragmented mist it quickly became obvious what happened. The bullet had seemingly passed right through him...

But only because of the activated card! "Mirage!" Richie announced with a grin, the card beside him showing a rather cliched image of a desert 'oasis'. "Spells, traps and attack targets won't apply to me as long as this card is on the field."

"_Tch... Which means he's safe no matter what_," the spirit behind them all muttered, only to frown. "_Hold on..._" The two both turned to Gekkou, frowns deepening with confusion at their friend's expression.

"What's wrong?" Yugi asked, the elder of the group not responding. "Gekkou-kun..."

"I wasn't hit but my lifepoints just dropped by sixteen hundred," he muttered, before looking to Richie's monster with wide eyes. "That's the Gunfighter's attack power, which means-"

"Guessed it already," Richie called out, arms crossed. "Twin Gunfighter inflicts damage to the opposing duelist equal to his power when he attacks," he explained, chuckling darkly. "I might have taken the 'hit', but you're the one who took the damage Gekkou- and the Gunfighter will always have a gun aimed at your chest... Too bad really," he added with a sigh. "You used to be good. A 'perfect duelist' according to Pegasus-sama! Hell... Back then I couldn't beat you if I tried," Richie went on in slight disgust, "But you know what, here I am! I've fought my way to the top through countless duelists as Card Professor- I earned this black disk Gekkou and this time the tables are turned! You may have been perfect once," he hissed, a growing and darkening grin on his face, "But that's ancient history! And I'll prove it to you... And this time... This time, Pegasus-sama will call me 'the Perfect Duelist'!"

"Gh..."

"_'Perfect duelist'... Even adopted, this family has problems_," the other Yugi grumbled to himself, his partner unable to do anything other than nod in agreement. Still...

If Gekkou was attacked during the coming turns it could spell loss. Not good. Gekkou was fighting for them, even if none of them had decided it for themselves- if he lost so did they, and so did Anzu. And for Gekkou himself it would spell far more than guilt. To lose his brother after all, would be...

Well. The spirit steeled his resolve and with similar thoughts Yugi cupped his hands to give their friend a shout. "You have to do this Gekkou-kun!" he cried, the man nodding in response. "For Anzu... And for your brother!"

"Hm! My turn," Gekkou responded, looking to the card he'd pulled out and setting it upon the field. "I set one card face down," he began, "And next, I summon the Wonderbeat Elf in attack mode!" With two hooked blades in hand the monster appeared with a crouch, hovering just inches above the ground. His sightless eyes stared forward and as Gekkou pointed the newly summoned monster forward he continued. "Wonderbeat can attack an additional time for each elf on the field," he began, "And he attacks now!" And with the Learning Elf there... "GO! Dual Blade!"

"Tch... Activate trap!" the opponent countered, card flying upward with the click of a button. "Robbing Whip! Stealing your Equip card," Richie explained, the glow of the card sending stars in their eyes, "And equipping it to my monster!" he finished as the card did just that.

The whip coiled around the Learning Elf's mirror and tore it from her grasp, sending the first of Wonderbeat's blades crashing into Gekkou as he winced. But as the man looked up, his opponent was far from finished. "Hehehe... It must be my lucky day," Richie sneered. "Thanks to your elf's ability, he still has to attack me... Which means you take half the damage from this reflector!" No...

No! Again the blades clashed, and again Gekkou gave a shout, ducking behind his arm where the hologram struck. Wonderbeat's ability backfired completely... Now Gekkou had less than 1000 life points while Richie was at full power! "This.." He couldn't even speak. "This is not..."

As both Yugis swallowed Richie merely continued to chuckle, shaking his head. "Looks like the gap is even wider than I thought," he laughed, shrugging from his place on the field. "It's interesting too... From what I can tell," the man noted, "Your deck is built on effect monsters. Low power, low defense... But devastating abilities. It just so happens my deck was built along the same lines!" he added with a smirk. "...But look... Just a couple of turns in, and already the gap is telling its own story. Seven hundred... To Four Thousand," Richie hissed, the others narrowing their eyes as the man spoke still more. "And you can see it as luck or skill, up to you Gekkou... But personally," he went on, "I'm placing my bets on skill."

"...You could be right about that," Gekkou admitted, the ghostly form behind him taking in a sudden 'breath' in shock. No... No he couldn't be! If he didn't win then they would- "After we lost Pegasus-sama," Gekkou explained, unaware of the panic behind him, "There was no one left to take control of the company. It was utter chaos... So I stepped in and took his place, rebuilding I2 as he would have wanted," he continued. "But you Richie... You travelled, joined the Professor's league... You devoted yourself to dueling entirely, thinking nothing more than the defeat of Yugi-san."

Something they already knew, right? "So what if I did?" his friend retorted, evidently feeling the same way. "'You were too busy to practice', is that your excuse?"

Gekkou shook his head. "No. Richie," he began quietly, "Can't you see! You owe all of this... All your success to Pegasus-sama's death. Your determination was a direct result of that," he protested, watching as the man across him grew more and more red-faced, "Pegasus-sama brought each of us up, that's true... But now that he's gone we've all learned to stand on our own and live our our lives to their fullest as he would have wanted. And now you're trying to bring him back," he murmured, "At the cost of a young woman's life. Just so you can depend on him for everything like you did before..."

"You... _SHUT YOUR MOUTH_!" Richie snarled, the English roar echoing through the now eerily silent room. "_Are you trying to say it's good that he's gone?_" he shouted bitterly. "_That it's better he's dead!_"

Dead silence was the brief response, Gekkou now returning the earlier dead stare. "You know full well that isn't what I'm saying," Gekkou answered with a dangerous tone. "I'm saying we aren't kids anymore! We can't be his 'children' forever!"

"Oh yeah?” the other asked, moving back to Japanese once more. "Well you're wrong!" Gh-! Not really proving him wrong there either though! "A world without Pegasus-sama isn't worth living in," Richie hissed with detest. "We lost someone important to us... So we're going to do anything we can to bring him back! That's all there is to it!"

Even at the cost of Anzu's life they wanted to say, bitter eyes staring the man down from a distance. "Richie..."

"...Gekkou," the man said quietly, an almost wistful tone coming into his voice before it vanished. "You've changed. You're not like the rest of us any more," he continued, "Not at all... So sorry about this Gekkou," he continued bitterly, "But I have to defeat you now! MY TURN," Richie roared, pulling the next card free with considerable force before taking a different one from his hand. A glass-faced 'western-belle' appeared in a shower of light, and as the gloved maiden cocked her shotgun Richie announced her name clearly for the field to hear. "Take this! I summon Pierce Musketeer," he called out, all eyes instantly flickering to mentally note her 'piercing' effect. "AND NOW, GEKKOU... I attack!"

-_BRAM!_

"H-Hahh..! Gekkou-kun!" Yugi cried, all three guns taking aim and firing in an instant.

"_Shit..!_"

"Activate face down!" With a flash of light all fired bullets halted movement, the monsters on both sides freezing in place in the light of the activated card. "Holy Sacrifice! Both attacks target only one monster," he explained, the bullets instantly charging back toward the Learning Elf, "And I take no damage from either attack!"

"Tch..."

With a rumbling explosion the Elf was struck down, her hologram misting and fading into sparks where the bullets hit. '_I draw one card,'_ Yugi could hear Gekkou say quietly, the effect of the fallen elf coming into play. From across the field Richie could do no more than stare in disgruntled annoyance, brow visibly ticking with the emotion. "Fine, be like that... I play one card face down and end my turn," he announced, "But come next turn you won't be so lucky!" Hmp!

They would see about that... After all. He'd escaped this turn the other Yugi thought to himself, so it was quite likely they'd make the rest of the duel turn back around as well! In fact...

"My turn," Gekkou shouted, drawing his next card and giving it only a glance before setting it on the field. "And I activate the spell 'Owner's Mark', returning all spells to their owners! The Reflector equips to Wonderbeat Elf," he continued on, the equipment fading from sight before it reappeared over his monster's arm. Again Richie seemed to stiffen in distaste, an action that was hardly missed by his opponent. "... Richie," Gekkou began, lowering his hand somewhat as he looked over the field. "I'll say again that I know how it feels. We had no family!" he shouted. "We had nothing, no relatives... To us, Pegasus-sama was more than a teacher. He was a father, our family... And after losing him, how can we even think to cause someone else the same pain? I know how it hurts... You certainly do as well," Gekkou continued, "So why..." When he received no answer the young man's gaze hardened, and he bowed his head. "...This is the end," he said clearly, taking another card from his hand. "Sorry, Richie. But I activate this spell," he cried out, "Sacrifice goods- the equipped Reflector acts as a tribute monster for this turn, and along with him, I'm sacrificing Wonderbeat Elf! NOW!" the man announced, his monster and its shield both bursting upward in a shower of light as the card was played, "And I'm summoning this! ANGEL 07!"

AH- "A-Angel 07?" he repeated with a start, only to fall silent as the light continued to fill the room. As metal took form with bladed wings, a shadowed half of face appearing before a now shocked and notably terrified Richie Merced.

The Angel 07 was a very recent card, but it was also a coveted one. It negated the effects of all monsters on the field regardless of spells and traps. To a deck such as Richie's it was murder- it would shut down every one of his monsters and render them nothing more than sacrifice fodder to a deck with no high-level monsters. And Angel 07 was not 'high level' for nothing.

The power of the others on the field could not hope to match it. "It's my turn to strike," the duelist started lowly. "Now... Angel 07 attacks!" he cried out, "And with his ability, your Mirage takes no effect!" Which meant all damage would be made, all of it...

Something that Richie knew full well. "NGH-!" The attack blasted right through his Twin Gun Fighter, scattering it into light and smoke while Richie ducked behind his disk arm. It wasn't much of course- less than 1000 points of damage. But it was a damn good start and with a growing grin the other Yugi shared a look with his partner, the boy's own expression growing as he looked to Gekkou with a laugh.

"Hah... Hahahaa..! Great!" he cried out, unaware of the fact that Gekkou's cold expression had yet to change. "You're turning it around! This is great!" It was!

It was incredible! But why did something feel off? "I'll set one more card face down before I end my turn," Gekkou decided, slipping the card into its slot before giving Richie a nod. "Turn end."

"Then I draw," his opponent responded, teeth grinding as he looked toward Gekkou. Time to tend this, the other Yugi thought to himself. Time to wrap this up and move on...

Yet even as Richie made his move he couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that something was about to happen. "I set a card face down," Richie began, the hologram appearing at knee level beside him. "Next, summon Grenadier," the man decided, a monocle wearing old 'puppet' with an oversized gun in hand hobbling in place on the field. "Pierce Musketeer also enters defense mode," Richie announced as the southern belle took a more crouched position, "And following that I end my turn."

With his words the recently rendered useless 'Mirage' card faded away from the side, all eyes briefly captured by the movement before flicking back to the field. It was Gekkou's turn now.

This would be it! "Alright then..! Draw!" the man announced. "And following that, summon the Boomerang Elf!" In a bright flash of light a monster appeared to stand on the floor directly, the short and boyish elf in the light hoisting an enormous boomerang above him before looking forward. "Both monsters move to attack," Gekkou continued, "Now!"

Synthesized battle cries filled the air, and while the Grenadier erupted into flames caused by Angel 07's single beam of light, the Musketeer's own arms were severed from her body by a boomerang's blade before the rest of her followed suit. Both monsters faded into light and dust, and standing behind the fading 'smoke' Richie did nothing but glare darkly. It was a no damage turn true, but this move was just what they needed to turn things around- now they could attack directly!

Now! "Richie... It's your turn now," Gekkou said calmly, his monsters hovering motionlessly at his side. Silence.

And with Richie's response the spirit at Yugi's side went white. "I'm not doing a thing this turn," the man said clearly. "Pass." Not even a draw...

Not a single move, not even a draw, not-

"_No_," the other Yugi shouted, eyes widening as he looked to Gekkou. "_NO! It's a trap, he can't-!_"

"It's over Richie," Gekkou announced coldly and tonelessly. "Let's go... Both monsters attack!"

"Heh."

"_No... NO, GEKKOU!_"

"Wh-"

"_What... Other me?_" his partner whispered mentally, "_What do you mean 'no', what-_"

A blinding flash of light filled the air... And the moment it cleared, with Gekkou left clutching his stomach in pain and shock, both of the boys were left to stare. Lifepoints, Zero.

They'd lost.

"No," Yugi whispered quietly, his partner shaking in place before slowly fading from sight in his shock. "No, that can't..." It was a trap, the other Yugi wanted to scream. It was all a trap, and Gekkou had fallen for it! But in the end, with what was on the line...

Wouldn't he have done the same?

"GEKKOU-KUN!"

* * *

In the world of the duelist there was winning, and there was losing. It was a fact of life. It happened. And sometimes, Richie thought to himself darkly, the stakes and fates both were simply against them.

As with now.

As it was while Gekkou fell to his knees, head bowed and unable to turn to look at the one behind him. The one whose face was completely flushed, white as the clear field and on the verge of a melt down. The traitor lost...

And he knew exactly how. "I win, Gekkou!" he shouted clearly, moving to stand over his fallen opponent. As the man beneath him levelled a shaking glare Richie continued. "You were in too much of hurry to win," he continued on. "It's over."

That was likely when Gekkou realized what happened. Realized what his subconscious picked up in the blinding light that had appeared when he'd attacked, when his opponent activated a single card...

'Bewitching Light'.

Sending the monsters attacking into a blind strike on each other. Gekkou hadn't missed that one though. No, he'd go so far as say he was insulted if that had been the case. He'd prepared- Amulet of Kindness appeared around the weaker of the monster's necks, and Boomerang Elf braced himself for Angel 07's harsh laser. But the laser never connected.

It hit Richie. And it seemed that as Gekkou looked up and spotted the card on his friend's disk in horror he realized it far far too late- 'Skimming Bullet' could only be activated in the opponent's battle phase. It inflicted the damage of an attacking monster to both sides. He knew Gekkou wasn't stupid- so he'd planned ahead.

And now, the skill of both sides was obvious. He could take a hit from Angel 07 on its own. But Gekkou? Even with Boomerang Elf intercepting, he sure as hell couldn't.

"G-Gekkou-kun," Yugi was saying hesitantly, approaching his friend with a nervous swallow. "Ge..."

"Gekkou!" Richie shouted, watching his former opponent's head sag to face the ground in defeat. The man before him scarcely moved, and the action only cemented his resolve further. "If you were even half the duelist you used to be, you'd have had a counter for that move," he told him. "If you were dueling as you used to," he went on, "You wouldn't have lost! ...But you're not like the rest of us," the man explained with a cold, quiet tone. "You still have family. You still have Yakou... And your drive to finish this and save him as soon as you could made you act without thinking."

"That... That's not true," Yugi protested, shaking his head. "You're saying he lost because he fought for his brother? Because he cared?" he added with an angered and desperate shout. "How is that any different from you?" he asked with wide eyes. "You're fighting for Pegasus!" True...

But this was different. "Yeah, I fight for Pegasus," he admitted flatly, eyeing the boy before him only briefly. "But not with the same desperate need to 'protect'... Not like Gekkou. When I was a kid, I was nothing," Richie went on. "My world was dirt and trash, and if you were asked to tell the difference between me and the pile of slime me you wouldn't be able to find it. And then I met him," he told them. "Pegasus-sama. He pulled me out of that hell hole and taught me how to live. As a person... And as a duelist. Pegasus-sama gave me a second chance when no one else would," Richie spat. "He gave me his life- so I'm fighting to give him his. I'm not afraid to lose!" he continued fiercely. "I'm not some spoiled kid flinching at every threat in my face! This was a battle of will!" the man finished as he turned, "And mine came out on top!"

With that he left the pair staring at his back, opening the door with his card only to pause. "W... Wait..!" Yugi cried out, his eyes moving from Richie to the door. The man looked back with a stern glare, eyes narrowing slightly before he spoke.

"Mutou," he began stiffly, the reason for the boy's outcry obvious. "You know the rules- you agreed to have Gekkou fight for you... And he lost," he went on, mumbled and grieved apologies mixed with sobs coming from far behind both. "You swore on those rules when you entered this building- this... Is as far as you go."

"Wait..." The doors closed behind the man slowly, and Yugi's cries continued to pierce the air. "WAIT! WAIT!"

With a resounding thud they closed behind the man, and staring at the wall across from him a moment he listened. Listened as footsteps pounded the ground behind him, as fists began slamming against the doors in desperation, with screams and cries filling the air- '_Please... PLEASE,_' Yugi screamed, voice faded and muffled by the metal between them. '_Please open the door..! Please, you have to open it!_` They began to fade only slightly, but as the sounds were accompanied by pounding fists on a door it became even more difficult to hear. '_PLEASE_,' he wailed desperately. '_I'm begging you, open it! Open it..! We have to... We have to save Anzu... We have... Ahhh... UAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH..!_'

He turned his head from the door and walked briskly down the hall, waiting for the screams to fade. There wasn't time for all of this, he told himself. He'd wasted a lot of time back there- for now, he needed to find out what was going on. In fact...

As he turned the corner his eyes met with the figure of one of I2's suits, the man bowing instantly. "_Well played sir,_" he began in English, his employer merely continuing down the hall.

"_Yeah..._" Well played indeed. Duel was a damn waste of time that's what it was. "_...What's our current situation,_" he asked, the suit behind him picking up his pace to keep up.

"_According to Mr. Tenma, the final phase of the project is now underway,_" the man began in response. "_We need only wait for the three final pieces, or so he told me._" The three final pieces...

So the three Ja-Shin would need to be summoned then, right? That was what Yakou had said last he checked... "_That sounds good,_" he said almost immediately. "_I suppose I'll be returning to the top floor then..._"

"_Actually,_" the suit coughed, Richie looking back with a frown, "_As it would seem, we've developed a small problem." _

Hm? "Problem?" he repeated, the suit nodding uneasily.

"_Our men downstairs are being taken down by force_," he explained. "From what we've been able to tell, the culprits consist of Katsuya Jonouchi, Mokuba Kaiba, and another unidentified young man. The more important issue at hand however is where they are heading," he continued. "_Their current path is taking them dangerously close to the server room, and while Yakou doubts they can do anything it is still possible that the Kaiba boy can find a way to sever our connection to the device_." WHAT-

"_Tch..._" Well wasn't that just great, the dueling really was pointless then!

Richie scowled, stopping in his tracks. "_Great... And your men can't stop them?_" he snarled, the suit bowing his head in embarrassment and shame both. "_Are you all useless?_"

"_F-Forgive me..._" Hahhhh...

Couldn't rely on anyone here damn it... "_Fine... I'll take care of them_," he growled, walking past a nearby stairway and balcony. "_Just tell me which way they are, I'll-_"

A loud whistle ripped through the air, both tensing instantly at the sound that came from above and behind. "_Hey FUCK HEAD_!" a familiar voice snarled, Richie turning just in time to find himself knocked back by the force of a 'falling' punch. "_TAKE THIS!_"

A sickening crack came with the sudden blow, Richie unable to even pull together some time to counter. "M_GN_-"

"_M-Mr. Merced..!_"

"Hihihihihi... _Pay back_!" Keith cackled, Richie wiping a small bit of blood from a now bleeding lip as he fixed the laughing man with a low glare. "_Thanks for nothing 'Rich', you sorry son of a bitch!_"

"Kh... Keith..." he growled, pulling himself off the ground somewhat. "_You just had to go and do that didn't you 'old man'!_" Without another warning he swung a kick toward Keith's legs, the man jumping back with alarming ease and still more laughter. "_You think you've got what it takes to take me on!?_" he snarled, the leather-clad American sounding more and more like a hyena with each laugh. "_You're a damn ungrateful guinea pig, you know that_!" he added bitterly. "_We go and bring you back to life and you go around causing hell instead? Plan on going back to being a corpse?_" the man went on, pulling himself up to uneasy feet.

Keith merely snorted, adding a flippant shrug to his response. "_Keh! Fuck that! You think I give a damn about your experiments?_" His humoured grin quickly twisted into a scowl, and with clenched and shaking fists he continued on. "_The reason I'm alive dumbass, has nothing to do with you! The only reason I'm alive now,_" Keith hissed, brushing some hair from over his nose, "_Is to take out the guy who made a fool of me last time... And now that one's down, there's only one more to go... If you think you're going to be the one fighting dear 'Joey', you've got another thing coming,_" he sneered, bracing himself only to throw a locked and ready duel disk forward. "_I'm not giving him up for anyone, you hear! But you know,_" he added idly as the others stared, "_I just got back to this world... Not quite used to this duel-disk crap... So how about it Richie Merced? Let's duel! This time, you can be the guinea pig!_"

* * *

Stalling was and had always been one of the less desired of distractions in situations such as this Seto decided, face twisting into a scowl as the doors on-screen locked for Yugi and his defeated 'friend'. She'd had a nasty suspicion that Yugi's naive trust would get him in this mess.

...But she hadn't expected that suspicion to be correct this time. One would have hoped that the 'other' Yugi would have stopped it, but no! Now they were stuck there, which meant that instead of waiting for him to get up here and provide enough distraction for her to actually do something, she would have to do something else. Something she really...

Really... Didn't want to do.

Though she supposed Mokuba would get some fun out of it.

"Well," she muttered dryly, pulling Tenma's attention away from the screens. "I can't say much for your 'second place' Card Professor if the 'normal' Yugi is a match for him," she went on, the man merely snorting in response.

"Please," he chuckled, stepping away from the computer. "Are you telling me that you would fare any better against him?"

The woman momentarily stiffened, before choosing her words semi-carefully while a fairly prideful voice in the back of her mind growled angrily. "There is only one person in this world who will ever defeat him," she told the man flatly, "And that's me. If it were you in that room," Seto added with a dark scowl, "You would have lost just as quickly, Tenma."

More chuckling was her answer, and the man before her moved to stand as he pulled something from his sleeve. "Hm! As though that matters behind closed doors," he sneered, fingering the card that he'd hidden away. "I only have one problem now and that problem is standing right before me 'Kaiba'..."

Yes... That was true. And she'd be giving him as much hell as she could until he left, regardless of how he saw that, she thought with a mental smirk. "Hn! Why not make this easier for both of us?" she hissed warningly, despite knowing full well it would be ignored. "And leave the building now? Maybe then you'll stand a chance of escaping with a hair more than your own neck." Preferably severed, but regardless...

The answer was of course, no. If anything Tenma was chuckling, a reaction that had the hairs on the back of her neck inexplicably rising up on end. "Hnhnhnhnhn... Hnhnhahaha... Hahahaaa! Dear 'Seto'," he sighed, ignoring the sudden hiss at the familiar use of names, "My project will enter its final phase in moments! I hold the key to success in my very hands, do you really think your threats mean anything to the 'Ja-shin'?" Ahhhh...

She'd guessed that he would say something like that, but...Ja-shin?

"...Evil Gods?" she asked incredulously, eyes narrowing as she spotted the face of the card that was spinning in Tenma's hand. 'The Devil's Avatar', it read, the very words it held for title sending shivers down her spine despite her mind berating herself with the words 'it's only paper'. The card's power was listed as a mere pair of question marks, and the description was blacked out completely. It looked like a single smooth black sphere, a black 'sun' even...

And as she made that connection she very quickly guessed what Tenma was rambling on about.

"...You... You expect me to believe this?" she barked, gesturing to the card that the young man held. "There are only THREE God Cards in this world, and each of them are in Yugi's possession!"

"And yet," Tenma calmly countered, "The ja-shin are very much real." His gaze drew still more severe, and as though possessed he continued to speak before the again silent woman. "They are the cards that Pegasus himself disavowed... Cards that were never meant to exist," he whispered, "Cards that were never even meant to have a name..." Names? Just why would the name matter to her she wondered, narrowing her eyes.

Why?

Continuing to stare in obvious rage she grudgingly continued to listen, face continuing to pale as an unexplainable sense of unease continued to grow. "Pegasus may have created the God cards only to seal their power in Egypt but there were still other powers to consider," Tenma explained, the woman before him clenching her fists but still listening nonetheless. "While the Egyptian god cards are powerful enough to be Gods themselves," he continued, "The Ja-Shin were created with only one purpose. And that was, in the event that his inability to destroy what he created, to stop the possible rampage of the gods. To keep the gods in check," Tenma went on, gauging Seto's reaction. "To control the power that could not be controlled..." Something that could keep something like those in 'check'?

The cards whose 'holograms' were at one point larger than the destroyed 'Duel Tower' itself?! "Are you trying to tell me that these Ja-shin of yours are more powerful than the Egyptian Gods?" she hissed, not bothering to correct the fact that she forgot to refer to them as the cards they were. "You think that these 'cheap copies' of yours can come even close to matching them?" Assuming there were three of course, but-

"Of course," the madman chuckled 'amusingly', the speed of the response throwing Seto off momentarily. "Why would I lie about that? I've no reason! Though I... Truly... Wonder," he went on, speech as choppy as it was refined. "Why it was that Pegasus never finished developing them... It's a shame really," Tenma decided with a sigh, the woman across him merely wondering what kind of power could possibly frighten Pegasus more than the Egyptian Gods, "But I think I understand now... He left these Gods for someone to continue in his stead. So that someone... So that I could carry out his will," he corrected madly, "And transfer it into these 'Ja-Shin'! And this God!" the man laughed, the noise coming out almost as a feral snarl, "Will be the God who brings judgment onto Yugi Mutou for his actions!" Tch!

She'd heard quite enough bullshit for one evening she decided. Hell... This was so ridiculous she could laugh- Was laughing, to a slight extent. "Hnhn_hnhnhn_..." Pegasus' will... "Hnhnha_haha_..!" Honestly... "Ridiculous," she sneered, mouth twitching with a slight smirk. "I've already told you once before- Your cards won't stand against Yugi's! They might not be the trash I typically see people carrying around, but you wouldn't last five minutes... Even your brother stands more of a chance!" she added with a dark grin, only for it to almost freeze and collapse at the response she received.

This wasn't laughter any more.

It was breathing.

As though a switch had been flipped over Tenma seemed to shake, hair hanging over his eyes while one briefly widened with an insane gleam. "My brother," he repeated airily, mouth twisting up into a smile. "I surpassed my brother the moment I received these cards. Don't stress yourself 'Seto'... I will beat Yugi. Even if 'no one else' can, I will, with the power of these Gods. Unless," Tenma added with a sneer, eyes closing back into near slits yet again, "You think you can take me out first..."

A chill almost identical to what would have been felt outside came over the room, the sensation of a breeze passing over them. Seto's eyes narrowed just moments before she made her decision, and as all plans to 'hold back' were thrown from mind the so-called wind increased. "HN! Why not?" she asked with a still darkening grin that was almost reminiscent of older times. "I'll take you on Tenma... I'll defeat you and deal with your so called 'Gods' myself!"

"Well then," Tenma sneered. "Where shall we duel?" Hn! There was only one real option for that, she thought to herself.

"This way," she responded. "On the roof- we'll duel on the Apex Arena!"

* * *

The radios were crackling and shouts were filling the air, and yet around them now it was completely silent. In another language that was only translated by his mind a suited guard was wheezing warning to Saruwatari in panic over a radio, eventually collapsing as the man shouted angry demands of what was going on in response.

'_I can't hear you!_' the guard was snarling back to the weakened and beaten man, Katsuya only grimly amused by the panic that the former employee of the mansion was in. '_Speak louder! Speak-_'

At this moment Saruwatari turned, the others of his team looking toward the elevator with wide eyes. "_What is it!_" he barked in English, unsure gaze hidden by sunglasses. "_What are you all doing?_"

"_It's the elevator sir!_" one of the men responded nervously. "_Someone's using it..._"

Saruwatari's scowl deepened with confusion, and he walked toward the door with his radio in hand. "_That's impossible_," the guard hissed in response, "_It's lock-_"

"Our cue," Katsuya said with a grin, the elevator slowing to a stop as he pulled a fist back. Not bothering to ask what he'd seen while 'spaced out' Honda did the same, Mokuba giving a wide, vicious grin combined with a thumbs up from behind. "Three... Two... One..!"

-_dng_

"OOOOORRR_RIIYYAAAAAA_!"

“O-Oh, oh my-!”

A loud crack came over the air as the guards closest to the elevator were knocked away, Katsuya's shoe quickly rising to meet with a third face as the men stumbled and collapsed backward on each other. "YOU!" Saruwatari snarled as the teens fought their way forward, Mokuba blowing a quick raspberry as the two in front of him knocked down the men who were trying and failing to catch him now. Reiko, in a true show of dedication, was doing her absolute best not to scream- instead skipping about and following after Mokuba while trying to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. "Jonouchi..! AND-" The guard paused, before settling with a scowling growl. "And YOU!"

Um. Hadn't he said that already? "Hahhh... No one knows my name anymore," Honda said with a sarcastic sigh, grinning as he elbowed a guard in the face. "It's almost pathetic..!"

"Ahhh, it's probably good news," his friend laughed in response, "Means that they can't call you out like some corny kamen rider show!" Another guard fell beneath a swift roundhouse that was followed by a straight 'low' punch, before a guard making the mistake of attempting sneak attack was thrown to the ground as well.

"I like those shows," the teen said flatly, turning to Katsuya with a perfect expression of honesty. "Those are my favourite shows."

The blond briefly stopped, silent. "Wha- ... Seriously..?"

As the fallen guards stumbled back up the pair turned, Honda merely rolling his eyes to give in and follow after the remaining members of their party while his friend cracked his knuckles.

"Heheheee... You dumb suits gonna get in our way too?" he asked with a grin, a few of them turning to each other briefly.

"_...But... Isn't this one of Kaiba's guards?_" Okay he caught the name 'Kaiba', and his weird head thing translated everything else so...

"You-..." A second crack as the blond brought his foot down on the guard, grin twitching somewhat as he moved. "THERE'S A DIFFERENCE DAMN IT!"

"A-A_AAHH_!"

"_UNCLE! UNCLE!_"

"Take that!" One more punch in the face of the one who said that. "An' tha' an' tha' an 'tha!" Punch, punch, punch- (Damn it he was getting thirsty here...)

"Hey JONOUCHI!" Honda called back, the teen already half way down the other hall. "Mokuba's already heading toward the server room, what the hell are you still doing!"

Katsuya blinked, looking up only briefly before tensing. "AH- You guys tell me this now?" he cried, jumping up to run after the two while the remaining guards gathered to chase them from behind. "C'mon, now everyone knows damn it!"

"Your fault!"

"No it ain't..!" He huffed, turning back briefly to send a kick toward his pursuers. "Haaahh... AH!"

"G_OH_-" The unlucky victim of the strike instantly grabbed at his gut, the rest of him flying against the pursuing guards to send them to the ground. "Hehehehe..." Ooooh yeah! "Try getting' outta tha' one morons!"

With one last laugh the blond picked up speed, Saruwatari and the others groaning and struggling to untangle themselves from far behind. "Gh... Damn it! _WE CAN'T LET THEM GET TO THE SERVER!_" he cried out from beneath the pile, "_AFTER THEM!_"

"_Just... A second... Boss..!_"

"Aaaaaagh...!"

Still laughing Katsuya grinned, skidding against the floor somewhat as he regained pace with the others. "Shit," he muttered to himself with a laugh. "Been so long since I fought someone with somethin' other than cards I was worried abou' gettin' rusty..."

"What was that?" Honda asked as he turned back.

The blond shook it off. "Nothin', nothin'," his friend responded, still laughing quietly as he tried to catch his breath. Not the time to joke around, he warned himself, the pair following close behind Mokuba and Reiko as the boy searched for a clear path to the server. After all...

While they fought, Yugi was still somewhere in the building doing the same right? And Seto... She was probably fighting too!

* * *

"Man... What a nice view..." Willa Mette let out a long and relaxed sigh as he stared up at the cloudless sky above, unable to keep from smiling at the sight. "Hard to believe it's nothing but hell beneath right now," he muttered, adjusting his hands from beneath his head. He'd been up there for quite a while- only a few moments after the Kaiba brothers went inside actually. The stairwell house had a ramped side after all, so he'd figured '_why not_'? The fence around the roof was certainly high enough for him not to accidentally fall off of, and while his own house back home was admittedly cool (in his opinion), the fact was that he could never see the stars this clearly from his own roof.

Which really said something about the light pollution given that he lived outside the city, but regardless. The sky above him was only slightly marred by the city lights and the lights of the arena just beside and beneath him, and from his position on top of the stairwell roof he was honestly wondering if he was going to fall asleep.

And then the door opened, and out stormed Seto Kaiba with Yakou Tenma in tow, the first looking as though he was caught between excitement and rage while the other was eerily calm.

"W-Woah... Woah.-!" He muttered swiftly, barely keeping himself from rolling (ironically) on top of the pair in shock. "What on earth!"

The pair turned briefly, Kaiba being the one to stop as Tenma headed for the arena with a smirk. "Hn! So you're still here then?" they asked with a slight snarl, eyebrow raised as the teen shrugged.

_"Well, hate to break it to you 'Mr. Kaiba', but... You locked me out."_ As Willa gave a somewhat false smile to go with this he watched the famed duelist snort once again, before turning to face Tenma whilst walking onto the arena.

"Tenma," he growled, teeth grinding half to dust while Willa shrugged from behind. "I can't believe this... You have your men climbing this tower like tiny, useless ants!" Ants! Oh come on!

"Hey! I don't completely agree with that there, pal!"

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." Well wasn't that great. Evidently his boss did. Though at least there was no response from Kaiba on the 'pal' remark.

At the moment in fact Kaiba had turned back to his opponent to click his dueldisk into place, slipping a deck of cards in with clearly rage-filled eyes. "Lets get this match over with," the man hissed, Willa eventually shrugging and moving to a cross-legged observation position. "You've already pushed my temper far, far enough for one lifetime!"

Still more chuckling entered the air, the observer's own words coming back to mind as he watched almost boredly. "Hnhnhnhn... And what a temper," Yakou commented, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement. "As you stand before me in your rage, my project comes closer and closer to its completion. Why... I don't know why you're even bothering to fight!" he laughed, his opponent visibly stiffening with a growing anger. "As a duelist of your calibre, you should understand completely the meaning of 'power'... And as someone of your level of power," he added darkly, "You don't even have a fraction of what it takes to stop what now comes to a close here." Oooooh...

That was probably not the best thing to- "Are you saying I'll lose?" Kaiba hissed. "To YOU!"

Yeeep. Yep, and there was the silently known, world-wide-witnessed 'Kaiba-Temper', Willa thought to himself with a wince, covering one ear as Kaiba continued.

"Tenma... Your 'Ja-shin' have bloated your ego if you think even a scrap of your words are close to the truth," the CEO chuckled, the action clearly a hair away from incredulous rage. "If your 'Ja-Shin' are truly 'Gods' to rival Yugi's own then prove it to me now! Show me those cards! I'll tear you apart and make you and your so-called 'ja-shin' kneel at my FEET!" he roared. "I'll reduce your project to nothing but ashes Tenma... START THE DUEL!"

Oooooh, harsh, the 'audience' decided with a wince. But nonetheless expected. Never, ever imply a power-gap outside a duel to Seto Kaiba's face.

Especially when the guy was in a mood. Neee_eeever_... It was one thing when, as he himself had been able to spot on the CEO's arrival, he was in only a _somewhat_ irritated mood, and they had been dueling already. That sort of thing came with the job as it were. So at least then all that happened was the guy getting ticked off and setting a nasty combo on his ass.

But this was like setting off a bomb. A really, really BIG bomb. An absolutely fucking HUUUUUGE-

It was about now that Willa realized the first move was about to be had, the cards pulled into each player's hand and the first to play decided. It was also about then that Willa realized he was going to see nothing but the backs of each monster's head at this rate. "Weeeeell shit," he muttered to himself, turning to the ramp he'd used to get up. "How the hell do I get down..." Lets see...

Right foot first, hand on the roof... "My turn first!" Kaiba announced, the shout just about causing Willa to lose footing. "I set a card face down, and summon the Material Bat in defense mode! End turn!" Material Bat? Managing to slip down to the roof floor Willa blinked, watching as a robotic and stereotypically designed 'Vampire Bat' flapped its wings on the field. Hoh...

So these were those new 'material' monsters then. Well, they supposedly had a lot behind them so... "I set two cards face down," Yakou began in response, fixing his opponent with a darkening glare. "End turn."

"En-" END! Two face downs and he was ending his turn? "What the hell?" Willa hissed to himself from the side of the roof, Kaiba as well staring with wide and even cautious eyes. "Is that hand trouble or what!" Did he have a crappy draw, did he just want to lay a trap?

And what foot went where, he was going to fall at this rate...

"Tch... My turn!" Kaiba announced in the end, drawing his next card and switching it with another from his hand. "And I summon the Material Lion in attack mode! Now... LION!" he ordered, Willa narrowing his eyes at the side while the lion paced in the air. "ATTACK DIRECTLY!"

With a synthetic snarl the lion bounded across the field, leaping into the air above Yakou and spreading wide, razor sharp claws. And as Yakou allowed the claws to connect, wincing and pulling back to hold where the hologram struck, the field stared in shock.

"K_ts_..." No way... "What..." No WAY...

No way he'd just taken that entire strike directly! "You... You didn't activate a trap when I summoned a monster or even attacked," Kaiba chuckled almost hesitantly, expression caught between a confused frown and success. "Your two face down cards are nothing but bluffs, aren't they?"

"We'll see," Yakou responded coolly, his opponent instantly losing the tense smile.

"Tch..." The apparent soon-to-be winner of the match drew his next card, glancing at it only briefly before setting it on the field. "I set a card face down and end my turn," the teen announced, before moving to cross his arms. "Turn end." Alright...

Kaiba still had the advantage, Willa told himself. Now if they could just figure out what Yakou's strategy was. It was really starting to bug him now that his spell and trap row was filling up! Yakou quite calmly ignored this slowly growing curiosity however, merely drawing and setting another card face down. There were three on the field now... And as he looked forward, he allowed his hand to rest near his side. One card face down... "Turn end," he said flatly, opponent looking more and more as though someone had just spat in his face.

Quite honestly watching Kaiba level that glare across the field, Willa wasn't surprised. 'Spells & Traps' was one of the hardest decks to play in the game. A deck made of nothing but traps and spells with not a monster to be found, relying either on spell card damage to whittle the lifepoints away or on Trap-Monsters to swarm the field. In the right hands it could be a hell of a challenge.

But not to a professional duelist. And certainly not to Seto Kaiba. The very idea was likely insulting even- and as the teen took his next turn his 'audience' had a fairly good feeling as to what was going to happen next. Yakou...

Was going down. Hard. "My turn!" Kaiba snarled loudly, slapping a card onto the disk as a ribbed and robotic looking scorpion appeared to the field. "And I summon the Mosaic Scorpion! Watch closely Tenma," the duelist continued to growl, all three of the mosaic monsters separating and reforming in the air behind him. "I won't need my strongest monster to defeat you... I'm going to finish you off in this turn!"

* * *

The pieces behind her shuffled and clicked just as programmed and the wind about them howled viciously whilst they did so. On the side Willa Mette watched as though they were in a completely separate world but quite frankly she couldn't care less about him, and had more or less forgotten he was even there. Instead her attentions were turned on her opponent. To think...

That this scum... This filth would dare to try using such a ridiculous deck against her in a match...

She was tired of this bullshit. She was tired of Tenma and anything associated with him- and mark her words she would finish this NOW.

"Behold!" she roared, the pieces all connected in a thundering crash of metal and stone, "The Mosaic Manticore- the Chimera!" As though to mirror her rage the holographic monster howled loudly, humanoid face staring forward with sightless eyes whilst bat wings spread far behind it. Her expression however quickly turned back to shock.

Across her on the field an identical roar could be heard, a howl that came with the image of a monster identical to her own. The enormous manticore, with a scorpion's tail and the face of a man, eyes white and wings spread almost like hands behind it...

The same monster she'd just summoned was on her opponent's field! "Hnhnhnhnhn..." Seto's eyes snapped to Tenma, the woman's fists clenched and stiff. "I activated one of my 'bluffs'," the American laughed, only for his laughter to snap back into a snarling scowl. "'Chronic Deja-Vu'! I don't think you know this one," he continued, Seto merely ignoring the CEO in lieu of reading the card's printing itself. "With this card I duplicate the monster you summoned just now... So try and break through to my lifepoints with that." That...

Summoning an exact duplicate gave him that sort of comfort? "K... Khnhnhn... Hahahahaaa... HAHA_HAHAHAAAA_!" If she attacked now, there was no doubt about it. The manticore would both kill each other, and they would both be left with cleared fields. But there was a draw-back to this plan so obvious that it made her wonder how her opponent could ever have been a threat. How this opponent of hers could ever pose a danger as he already was...

Perhaps she should have kept that in mind- but she didn't, and couldn't, and the chuckling died down only to allow her the time to speak.

"Did you think," she asked with a sinister grin, "That these half-baked tactics of you would work on me? Try again Tenma!" she laughed, clicking the button on her duel disk as a card swung upward. "I activate the trap card Alpha Wave Radiation!" The card swung upward in an instant, and as it did so it seemed to release a pulse of light. The field became coated in a thin layer of dust, and the cards depicting the monster's power instantly dropping by three-hundred points. Something that Tenma, as co-owner of the company that created the card, already knew would happen.

"Why bother?" he asked confusedly, watching as his opponent's smirk slowly grew. "That card affects your monster just as much as it does mine, they're still-" Hnhnhnhnhn...

"I haven't finished my turn," she said with a dark grin, Tenma almost flinching from across her while his expression dropped. A single card was placed on the field and instantly her own manticore's attack reverted to normal, triumph clearly visible on its summoner's face while the card's face revealed itself to the field. "The spell card 'Vaccine Inoculation' leaves my monster immune to the virus... Which makes the true manticore more powerful than yours! NOW, MANTICORE!" she roared, a blast of flames growing within the mechanical beast's mouth. "ATTACK- BLAST BURN !"

In a roar of flames all that could be seen was a grimacing Tenma, the field cleared of the manticore and replaced with a lion and bat identical to what she herself had sent to the grave to summon her own monster. Narrowed eyes were looking over the monsters in silence and with a superior smirk Seto held her arms crossed. "Hnhnhnhnhn... Be thankful," she told her opponent. "Manticore's effect has left you with two useless materials for another chimera. If you had a third one you could stand a chance at bringing it back, but as worthless clones this is all you have..."

Nothing but to monsters and crushed hope, no doubt... And as she was answered with silence Seto quickly regained focus, gaze growing cold yet again. A blast of wind blew about them almost in anger, and with an impatient frown she adjusted her stance just slightly.

"I'm done with this turn," she said plainly. "Now... Draw your next card!"

"Very well," her opponent hissed, drawing and setting a single card in almost the same motion. "In that case allow me to use these two materials you left me; I sacrifice both monsters to tribute summon the Angel of evil," Tenma announced, both mechanoids exploding into pillars of pixelated light to form robes of black and violet in its place. "The Marquis of Darkness," he called out further, "Belial! And Belial," he explained smugly, shadowed eyes taking form beneath the black winged angel as it stood across Seto on the field, "Cannot be attacked by a creature of less than seven levels in power..." Seven levels...

Another pathetic shield then, looking at Belial's 'power' if it could be called that in this case. "Hmph. So that's your 'plan' then?" she noted, closing her eyes for just a moment as she briefly reigned in her current reaction to the idea. "Block a level four monster from attack with your so-called 'angel of darkness'... ...I see now," Seto continued, opening cold eyes back to her opponent and watching as the teen stiffened. "This is all you're worth as a duelist... You have nothing left that can convince me of anything else."

And the more she spoke the more a low growl developed in the back of her throat, the more she could hear the roar of the dragon she held in her hands. She had told herself that she would not need to use Blue-Eyes to wipe this scum from the face of the earth...

But tonight, she would have to back down on those words. "It's MY turn now," she snarled, drawing her next card and switching it with the dragon in her hands. "And the card I need to crush you is already in my hand... I activate the Manticore's effect and revert it to its materials," Seto announced, a slowly growing and possibly crazed smile coming over her face, "And using two of those materials as tribute, I summon the most powerful of monsters... RISE!" she ordered, the light from the destroyed sacrifices swirling into the wind. "AND DESTROY THIS FIEND BEFORE US... BLUE EYES WHITE DRAGON!"

"_GRAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOO_!" Pearly white wings broke free from the light that had yet to form, tearing through the air and through the sky itself. "_RAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOO-OOOOOO!_" With a single wing-beat the air moved back from the arena, and with a blood-curdling roar the dragon landed to her side, scales shimmering beneath the moonlit sky and glowing a pale silver. Snarls did not fade from the air- blue eyes turned and faced only their opponent, as though the dragon itself knew what sort of a threat and annoyance the man brought.

And with nothing but a nod the dragon fired up a growing blast of light from within its jaws, scarcely waiting for the command to strike. "Attack!" Seto snarled, the lightning already shooting forward from close at her side. "BURST STREAM!"

This time her opponent was pushed back more than just slightly by the force of the blast, Tenma's arm held stiffly before his face. The ashes, completely synthetic in form blew over on the wind, and as Tenma looked forward Seto's eyes continued to narrow with rage. Compared to all fights before her...

None had even compared to this in the level of pointlessness she saw. None. A fact that had her loathing, more and more, the fact that she was standing on this arena to begin with.

"You aren't worthy of any form of 'god'," she hissed, face twisting in disgust as she stared her opponent down. "Yakou Tenma... Leave your Gods and get off of my property!"

"..." Tenma's response... Was almost expected, the woman admitted to herself mentally. Silence.

Endless silence with shadowed eyes, hair hanging in front of it like a tattered curtain. If this had been anyone else, she would have expected a look of defeat. In fact for a brief moment as she looked over the field she thought she could see that very emotion hovering over him now. But he instead continued to stand in silence, and as the wind blew around them the woman took a card from her hand to continue on...

If only to get this over with through more bearable means. "I set a card face down," she stated clearly. "And I end my turn... But for now, your fighting is futile," she sneered, mouth twisting into a competitive grin despite herself. "And by this point, you should just admit defeat and surrender. You can fight all you want if you like... All it proves is that you're just as pathetic a duelist as I expected, if not more so..."

Her words had begun to have an effect. She knew they were beginning to have an effect, and the very sight was leaving only a growing smirk on her face. This game as hers as it always had been. It was hers and Yakou knew it, his hand rising toward his deck in a motion to surrender. Hovering above it, his body shaking and trembling on the spot...

And suddenly, with a wide and crazed eye he snapped that hand to draw a card, an audible crack entering the air as his head turned to face her. Tenma wasn't surrendering she realized in a dull instant, the fallen smirk replaced with a determined scowl on her face.

Well. That was just fine with her! If Tenma wanted to keep fighting then she would make sure he left this field entering the jaws of the ultimate monster.

But first. To see what Tenma spat out next... The insane gleam in his eyes had been replaced with naught but cold severity, and a stone desire to continue to fight. Taking the card he held in his hand he set it upon the field, his confident and almost relaxed posture restored once more. "I summon Agathion in defense mode," the man announced simply, a small flaming demon of sorts coming to the field in a crouch. "End turn."

...This...

"Gh... Ha_haha_..." This one turn, and Tenma's counter was this... "Haha_hahaha_! That... What's that supposed to be?" she snarled, amusement swiftly turning to hate as she pointed toward the monster. "Even for a duelist postponing the inevitable this is pathetic! It's as though you're asking me to overlook it completely! As though you're just throwing this duel away and wasting even MORE of my time!" the woman went on, her voiced rage leaving no effect what so ever on her opponent. Well then... "My turn," she spat, drawing her next card. A single glance told her all she needed about the card she'd been waiting for, and that same card was set on the field instantly. "First," Seto began, "I play the spell Cross-Shift! Replacing the Material Lion with the Lord of Dragon!" As the cards arose so did strands of synthetic light, the pixels forming the lion shifting and transforming as a card was ejected from the deck to replace the Lion's own. In moments the bone armed dragon Lord stood upon the field, and without even waiting for the light to settle the duelist continued on. "Next, I activate my face down card, Dragon Awakening Melody!" she called out, a large and almost scaled lute appearing in the Dragon Lord's hands. "By discarding one monster, I'm adding two other dragons to my hand... And... Following that!" the woman shouted, voice growing louder and louder as her strategy unfolded, "A spell from my hand... Flute of Summoning Dragon! And with this..."

"_RAAAAAA-AAAAAOOOOOOO-OOOOOOO_!"

"I summon from my hand the two other Blue-Eye's White Dragons! But don't worry Yakou," Seto chuckled, the roars and snarls of the now triad of dragons filling the air from behind her, the two magnificent beasts having appeared in a literal flash of light despite the usual slow mist that would do so. "Despite everything, these dragons didn't inherit the Manticore's vaccine; they can't attack you now... But the other dragon can! GO, BLUE-EYES!" she ordered, the immune dragon giving a roaring battle cry as the flames burned in her throat. "ATTACK, WITH BURST STREAM!"

"_AAA-RRRAAAAOOOOOOO!_" This time though the attack was just as powerful as before, Tenma stood unflinchingly in the flames. He merely held his eyes closed in calm, hand at his side as he slowly opened them to look forward. Silence settled over the field for a few moments- Tenma stared and through those moments Seto continued to let her rage grow.

"My turn is over!" she said after a few impatient moments. "Make your move!"

"Pass." Again both herself and Willa at the side stared in silence, nothing but shock on their faces before the expression began to change into a twisted grin in order to 'cope'.

"Well..." the woman hissed, eyes shadowed somewhat in her hair. "Here I had hoped to catch a glimpse of your 'Wicked God'," she chuckled, "But here you are giving in..." This duel that she was wasting her time with... This duel that wouldn't seem to end for anything... "I was right to call you pathetic," she spat darkly. "You're even less so- a worm could defeat you with ease! It's my turn now!" Seto roared. "And," she continued, sparing the card she drew a mere glance before staring her opponent down with an expression that could have rivalled one of her opponent's own, "It looks as though my deck wants to settle this now! With the most powerful monster in existence! I activate the spell Polymerization from my hand," Seto announced. "Fusing the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons into the ultimate beast!"

"_RAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOO_!" A vortex of incredible size appeared behind her, and with momentarily closed eyes she began to laugh. The dragons were pulled back and into the funnel behind her, a spiral of energy that coalesced to the ground and air behind her. Clawed feet gripped the arena and the roof-top both. Three magnificent dragon's heads rested atop a body of immense size, and enormous white wings blanketed the sky as they stretched back. The scales seemed to emit a light of their own, not even marred by the small black crests on their brow.

But as she opened her eyes, that as not what she saw. "No..."

It was something else. "Hnhnhnhnhn..."

More snarls met the air, whilst her opponent laughed, and the blood drained from her face. "Impossible-!"

"HnhnHA_HAHAA_!" Standing across her...

Three... Three Blue-Eyes...

_HER_ three Blue-Eyes! "Take a look at my trap!" Tenma cackled insanely, the three beasts crouching almost morosely from across the field. "The Junk Dealer! I've been waiting for you to summon that dragon," he sneered, the cards in his hand seeming to smoke as he grinned, "And you certainly know how to deliver... Thanks to you, I now have three monsters on my side of the field, three monsters you threw away for your so-called 'Ultimate Monster'!" No... The three dragons were going to...

"Impossible," she repeated yet again, unable to believe what she saw. "Impossible..."

"Hnhnhahaha... Hnhn_hahahahaha_... It's plenty possible, 'Seto'... Just watch! You can't do anything else now... So watch and wait!" Tenma thundered, the formerly clear sky beginning to darken as the snarls of the Ultimate dragon behind her began to die down. "As your beloved pets become your NIGHTMARE! The God which will destroy you sits in my very hand, and now!" he howled as the growing storm around them intensified, "My Ja-Shin will descend upon me, and with him I bring absolute destruction! WATCH," Tenma roared, the white dragon's seeming to melt and emulsify before her wide and quivering eyes. "Let me show you!" he screamed, the rotted black 'shadow' rising up to the sky above while the sacrificed monsters cried and collapsed in on their own decaying flesh. "I summon... THE DEVIL'S AVATAR!"

If fear had been what filled her before the monster appeared, then fear of a new kind was what she felt now. Stricken stiff and pale at the sight of a black sun she stood, sweat dripping down the side of her face. Her entire being went cold, unable to move. Even the dragon behind her fell silent, and with horrific realization the woman managed to take a single step back from the evil god before her. And as though to spit in the face of her fear, the great sphere began to change shape, sprouting wings and limbs before her very eyes.

"The Devil's Avatar will now take form," Tenma said with a leering grin. "Watch," he hissed, three snarling dragon's heads forming as the shadows stretched forward. As a tail that could level cities grew, and as claws the size of a very person sharpened and took form. As what should have been white scale and beautiful blue eyes...

Were dyed black...

"Sink into the deepest darkness, Seto Kaiba..."

"_**RAAAAAA-AAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOO-OOOOOOO!**_"

Black eyes stared her down and immediately her sense of control despite all she knew and was, began to fade. Fear began to sink into the air, fear and a pounding darkness unlike anything she'd felt in years. This...

Was a 'Ja-Shin'.

A monster with the power to mimic her dragon in size and shape, but while the colour seemed to be the only thing 'off' there as more. This was no mere 'copy'. It was not just a 'dragon', a creature of immense power. And the sensation of dread that was filling every fibre of her being now was something she wanted more than anything to disappear as her opponent laughed.

"Hnhnhnhnhn... The Devil's Avatar lacks a body of its own," she could hear through the blood that rushed in her ears, "But don't let its new shape fool you," Tenma hissed, right eye wide with madness and his left narrowed in cruel mirth. "The ultimate dragon gave it this shape, but that isn't all that has changed. The Avatar's power is the same as your ultimate dragon's own... Plus one." One...

Point...

As her face continued to fall in shock Tenma's grin widened further, his laughter reaching a fever pitch with his words. "How does it feel!" he cackled. "With a mere point difference as a gap... But a gap which is nonetheless impossible to surpass! It's a decisive difference isn't it?" Tenma sneered, the wide eye only narrowing slightly as Seto swallowed. "But one that highlights a difference in skill nonetheless..." A single... Point...

The ultimate dragon had more power than even the Obelisk. It had the potential to defeat the Egyptian Gods that Yugi held, it was the monster she would have used against him...

But even that power... Even that was being surpassed she realized, unable to hear the voice at the back of her mind that screamed for her to realize it wasn't merely that. That screamed for her to realize there was something else, that the monster before her was more than a hologram, it was doing something it _had_ done something, Blue-Eyes was no longer as she normally was and this thing had caused it!

The virus did not affect a god, no matter how malevolent in intent. A god was a god- that was all.

'_Attack_,' she heard through the air, eyes widening as they turned from her opponent to the central mouth of the dragon above. '_Attack...'_

"BURST STREAM OF DESTRUCTION!"

"_RAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOO!_" It was incredible... All the power in the air, all that was pushing against herself and her dragon's very being and she could still hear it roar...

She could see it rear back even as its now almost holographic form moved in front of her, open mouths wide and snarling before becoming nothing but ashes on the wind. It was only one point...

Just one, not even a scratch...

And yet there she was struggling to stand. Watching as the form of the black dragon melted and collapsed into a single sphere before changing yet again. Changing to a monster that could have easily been defeated by the dragon it had just destroyed.

"...Bastard," she managed to rasp, eyes narrowing in bitter rage. "So now you're copying the dragon lord then?"

"The Dragon Lord with an extra point of power," Tenma sneered, chuckling under his breath almost hysterically. At the side of the field and from across the CEO both, there was nothing but silence on the air. A stiff and horrified silence that mixed with whatever feeling of negativity was the most prevalent. Rage... Loathing... "I put a card face down and end my turn," the American stated plainly. Then it was hers...

"Gh..." No matter how powerful her monsters were, they had no chance to counter the Avatar's attack. So long as it duplicated the highest number she was-

Wait... The Avatar took the stats of the highest monster of its position she reminded herself, running the facts through her mind almost in desperation. If it was attack it mirrored the highest attack, defense the highest defense. So long as the opposite stat still opposed it in power, there was a chance. Tenma was no fool- he wouldn't put something as powerful as a Ja-Shin in defense mode; not when, no matter what, it could out class her attack. However...

"Dragon lord enters defense mode, and I summon the Material Armadillo," Seto announced, a robotic creature almost similar to something she'd seen once before appearing to the field and curling into a ball as her other monster crouched down. "Also defense mode!" And the Ja-shin couldn't possibly beat that, she thought to herself. It would be 901 against 2000- an easy win.

Almost. "Hnhnhn... HA_HAHAHA_!" Tenma still laughed.

And that was never a good sign.

"So..." Never. A good sign. "You think you can stave off the end with this, do you?" he cried, arm seeming to blur as he moved it over his duel disk to mirror words from earlier in the duel. "Hnhnhahahaaaaa... You can't escape the darkness so easily... Activate the trap Comparable Level! At the cost of half my lifepoints," Tenma explained, "I can summon as many monsters as it takes for their power to equate to your own!" As many as three levels? But-

With widening eyes the woman watched as the holograms swarmed the field, her body locking completely into place. Level one, 'Angel 01'.

Level one, 'Angel 01'.

Level one, 'Hourglass of Time'...

Three monsters. Three useless monsters in ordinary circumstances, and yet as she stared it was impossible to shake the growing fear she felt. She never even called for her turn to end...

Merely stared, frozen, watching...

Watching as the time slipped away through her grasp...

"No one can stop the power of the Ja-shin," Tenma hissed, eyes narrowing as he drew his next card. "Now... Tremble in fear, Seto Kaiba... The Darkness is coming now. I must thank you!" he continued, grinning madly. "You've allowed me to summon another God... A god whose power is that of fear itself! I sacrifice three monsters!" he announced, the three minuscule monsters scattering and exploding into ash on the wind. "And I summon the second of the Ja-shin... ARISE! THE DEVIL'S DREADROOT!"

The ashes from the monsters swirled into a massive vortex as the Avatar itself did the same. Legs were the first to form, along with yellowed bone armor on pitch black skin. Wings lined in ivory stretched back from the monster's form, the Avatar creating his own to do the same. And as the monster appeared her heart quickened in pace. Any blood remaining in her face drained from it completely and for a moment it was as though she couldn't breathe. She could no longer hear the wind, nor Tenma's words. She could no longer feel the cold sweat she'd broken into, nor the sensation of the cards in her hand. She could only look forward as two mammoth sized demons clad in an armor almost ironically similar to that of the Obelisk's on clenched their fists, Tenma's final words finally breaking past the deafening fear that pressed down on her.

"Don't worry," he chuckled, "About the third of these Evil Gods... There's no need for you to meet this one. After all!" he laughed, hands held to his side with a howling, cackling cry, "This is where you die! ATTACK!" he thundered, a card swinging upward on his field. "With the trap 'power break', the Dreadroot first destroys all your monsters!" Tenma roared, the woman across him getting only an instant's notice to duck behind her arm as the holograms exploded in her face. "And next," he hissed, staring forth with a single widening eye as his opponent forced herself to stand before the blackened demon about to attack. "Avatar..." Gh... "Thank you again for your assistance," Tenma sneered, the Avatar pulling a fist back and taking aim. "Because of this match, the R.A. Project has entered its final phase of completion... Now fly into darkness!" he cackled, a fist slamming into her and throwing her back against the edge of the arena without warning. "FEAR KNOCKDOWN!"

"GH-HHH... ...G_HHA-GH-_"

The air from her lungs rushed out with enough force that she momentarily pondered if being hit by a truck would have hurt less. But despite the force behind the blow it was her own feet which carried her to the edge of the arena. Her wide eyes could do nothing but stare through the pain at the ground, chest heaving as she struggled to breathe and struggled to completely comprehend what had just happened. Until this point only Yugi and Pegasus had ever beaten her- and the latter did it through cheap tactics and mind-games. But it was the jashin which stood before her now, even as the playing field vanished, which had done so this time.

With a direct attack of four thousand and one points.

Still struggling to breathe she began to collapse, knees striking the metal arena floor as she brought a hand to her chest. She'd lost. Her building...

Was about to fall into the hands of some crazed upstart, some twisted, disgusting-!

'_Kaiba..._' she could remember Yugi telling her in their last match. '_You saw what I did, didn't you?_' he had asked. '_Pharaoh or Priest... Enemies or even friends_,' he'd gone on, '_It doesn't matter who they were or how they came to that field. What was carved in that stone were their spirits as duelists and warriors, carrying with them the battle itself! And that battle_," Yugi had gone on, the words now pounding against her skull as she continued to force herself to breathe, '_Has been passed through the years to us now_!' That battle...

Was one that was destined...

She'd built this arena to fight Yugi properly. She'd re-built this tower as part of a promise and a dream, shared with her brother. This was the tower where everything came together, where so many things were meant to happen, where her brother was already rushing to save alongside those he'd found in this building. And now...

Those dreams and promises were sinking down into the shadow at her feet, twisting swirling, falling out of her grasp... Falling...

With horror filled eyes she moved back on one foot, watching as a black sludge not unlike the Avatar rose up from the ground to change form. Morphing from the ooze and snarling as it formed a neck and jaw, gnashing teeth like razors and flexing wings blacker than the pits of the seas. And a blue eyes white dragon, with all the ferocity of the world and not a scrap of familiarity opened up its maw, lunging toward her-

"Hah..." She wasn't there, Yugi's 'penalty' was over, she wasn't there...

The dragon continued to take form, cries mirroring the creatures of nightmares long past, teeth coming toward her face-

She wasn't there, she'd come out of that, the nightmares were gone-!

With black flames in its throat, and an ear splitting roar-

"HHHAA... AAAAAAA-AAA_AAAAAHH!-_"

It was gone in a flash, nothing but a puddle sinking into the ground remaining where the dragon stood. But despite that her eyes stared at nothing but the space where the monster had risen from, her hand clenching the fabric of her coat even tighter as she attempted to regain her breath.

Across from her the Dreadroot had finally started to vanish. The fear began to evaporate from the air, and though it was a slow to fade emotion it was fading nonetheless. But while the Dreadroot faded, the Avatar remained. As formless and black as a devoured sun, perfectly smooth and perfectly round it hovered above the field, watching, waiting...

As its servant gave a cunning and dark smile, walking steadily toward his fallen opponent. "You know Seto," he began, ignoring the laboured breathing and the slowly tensing grip on the arena's smooth floor from at his feet, "I'm really quite glad that we had this duel! Yugi's path came to an end after all," he continued with an almost halting laugh, "And I was in a spot!" He briefly knelt down to put a hand on the woman's shoulder, confident that despite the woman's resulting expression she would be too weak to even throw the gesture off. "...You see this duel was more than a gathering of power," Tenma whispered, shaking his head as crazed chuckling came from within his words. "It as more than just a clash of Gods! Of all the duels in this building the cards have never resonated so strongly... And NOW!" he roared triumphantly, standing back up to turn and face the enormous 'god' before him, "As the last test subject summons the third God, this project will meet its end! NOW," Tenma laughed triumphantly, "With the final Ja-shin... The light of all the cards in the world will bring a man back to life! KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!" he screamed insanely, a pillar of energy that none could even recognize or describe now rising up from before the man, "And WATCH! Listen... _FEEL_ the energy in the air!" Tenma howled, ignorant to the grinding teeth and steady, murderous glare that now looked to him from behind strands of brown hair. "This is the beautiful burning of a soul... The beginning of new life..! And right here... Right now... THE REBIRTH OF AVATAR IS COMPLETE!”

Complete?

Despite all her pain and despite all her rage Seto's mind managed to clear in that moment and that moment only, her eyes following the crackling pillar of light as it shot from the centre of the field and into the sphere that was Avatar. She'd told herself what she would do after all. She knew what she came here to do! And this 'LOSS'...

Would not stop her now! "...Mokuba," she whispered under her breath, the hand on her chest silently and discretely pressing down the button for the radio clipped there. "Listen very carefully... To what I'm about to say. I need you to enter in this code... Exactly when I say so."

* * *

Far below Seto Kaiba and possibly even Jonouchi and those with him, the room that Richie had left behind had grown dark and cold, with nothing but a faint and pleading voice audible within it. "Please," the voice cried softly, repeating himself over and over. "Open the door..." Tiny, weak, and pounding 'thuds' were being made upon the door between the arena room and the halls outside it right now. Unknown to the boy that was weakly slamming a fist against the metal, still crying and whispering for someone to let him out, the situation was now much more dire than it had been.

In one room a computer sparked and screamed, all those within frantically searching for the cause while one lone person clutched his head and forced back a loud and agonized cry. In another a fist collided with the shocked and weakened face of another, the victor of a bloodied and vengeance driven match ripping the duel disk from his victim's arms before stalking down the halls after his goal.

Behind him Gekkou was still bowed, his head almost resting on the ground in a state not unlike Yugi.

And the 'other' Yugi had floated ahead. Desperately searching for any of the others, if only to find a way to open the way forward.

Because for all the doors that lead into this room, there were none that lead out. And they were, without a doubt...

Trapped.

"Please," he whispered desperately, head thumping against the door as he slowly collapsed against it in exhaustion. "Please, please just let us out... Please..."

'_Yugi..._'

The boy blinked, head snapping back up with a jolt as a faint voice met his ears. As though wind had blown through the room something had sounded around him, blowing gently against his face and hair. It couldn't be right, he found himself thinking. What he'd heard had been scarcely above the sound of a whisper, yet spoken with the force of a panicked cry. As he looked around now though, there was no source to the voice...

If anything, it seemed as though he was hearing things. '_Yugi... Help..._'

And yet, there it was again.

Yugi frowned, struggling to hear the faint cry that seemingly came from nowhere. The voice he was hearing sounded almost familiar, but he just couldn't place it. So what... As he looked around he felt something warm from the deck holster at his side, along with a pressuring sense of foreboding at the back of his skull. With a slight swallow he looked down at the case in question, slowly opening it only to pale.

The voice was louder now.

'_Yu... Gi... Help... Me..._' No...

Anzu...

With shaking hands he pulled out the card with his friend's face on it, staring at it with horror filled eyes for only a moment before hurriedly slipping it onto his duel disk and turning it on. "A... Anzu!" he called out, the holographic image of the woman appearing before him with deathly pale countenance.

Even at a number of feet away the hologram's image was crystal clear, and it was all he could not to shout more than he did. Her hair was almost tattered in appearance; frazzled and dull, with thick bags hanging beneath her eyes. And her eyes seemed even more dull in comparison to all this, barely able to gather the strength to look toward the one who summoned her as she curled in on herself.

"Anzu," the boy repeated, eyes tearing up at the very sight of his clearly dying friend. "Anzu!"

"_Yu... Gi..._" She rasped, voice grating the air like nails to chalkboard. "_Help... Help..._" she pleaded, forcing a deep 'breath' of air into her lungs. "_I'm... Scared..._" she forced herself to say, reaching out with a shaking and even smoking hand. "_Something... Something's coming,_" Anzu cried, her voice fading as Yugi stared in shock. "_Something's rushing through... It's... Pushing me away..._" she wept, now flat and almost colourless hair sticking to her clammy face. Her hand stretched closer...

The woman attempted to take a step, Yugi himself attempting to will himself to move as well.

"_It's rushing into... Into..._" All at once her eyes widened, and just as the one before her reached forward she pulled back, trembling in horror. "_Yugi... Am I... Dead..?_" Dead? No...

No she wasn't, she wasn't... Why was she asking-! "Anzu?"

"_Am I... Going... Am I... Dead... _" she repeated, water dotting her eyes as she began to smoke and crumble.

Yugi's eyes continued to fill with tears, the boy shaking his head with desperation and disbelief at the sight. "No," he whispered, his head slowly shaking more and more strongly as he ran toward the hologram that had appeared a few feet ahead of him in the air. "No... NO! ANZU!"

"_Yugi..._" Her body was turning to ash, growing black, fading away. "_Yu..._" She was vanishing, smoking, misting out from existence, fading from reality for all time-! "_I... I lo..._"

...

'_Yu... Gi..._' No...

His eyes shook, moving from side to side as bits of smoke hung through the air, his body frozen in place and his hand petrified before him. No! The final pieces fell to the ground only to smoke and fade on contact...

The lights in the room seemed to fade even more than they already had, and the normally comforting presence of his other self was only serving to enhance the horror in the room at this moment with the growing sensation of rage and despair from the spirit that had now returned to the millennium puzzle's confines. No!

NO!

"ANZU!"


	9. Tsalmaveth

In the darkness around her she could no longer breathe. Torn from her body, torn even from the world it was all Anzu could do not to scream despite this lack of air.

Scream in frustration, in rage at Tenma and his plan, at the duelists who had come in their way, at all the obstacles in their way, at everything that happened and targeted them simply as an offshoot of an event they'd been forced into! And to scream in grief...

If she could cry she would cry until there was nothing left right now, not even a soul. There was only one 'companion' with her right now, and it was nothing to be called companion at all. Shuddering in fear she held her legs close, with shadows coiling around her as they waited... Waited for the moment when all would be complete, waited for the moment when three would become one. It was an almost liquid creature that surrounded her now, dark and oily in form and devoid of all temperature to the touch. After all- even the cold required a bit of life to exist.

And this creature had no life.

"Who..." Her voice was hoarse, but she could see a face before her, skeletal in form and covered with darkness. She could no longer feel any fear. She could scarcely feel anything in fact, and perhaps that was why she could do nothing but stare as the enormous monster loomed over her. "Who... Who are you..?"

To her surprise the creature answered, dull voice scratching over the air as waves of shadow continued to envelope the small area around her. "_Zzzzzzuuuuuuuuuuu..._" Zu? As she thought the name the creature spoke again, as though to correct her. "_Zizzzzzzzzz..._" Ziz then, she asked herself hesitantly. But what was...

It spoke again.

'_Annnnnnzuuuuuuuuuu..._' An...

Anzu?

Such a pity, her clouded and careless mind found itself wondering with that word, her eyes dull and glazed with coming death as the monster simply stared. Malik's memories were right...

You could do... Anything with a name...

By a mere coincidence of events they'd been challenged. That was what she believed, what she'd told herself to believe. But perhaps...

There was more.

Energy was building around them. Harsh and cool as the void, electrifying her body and strengthening the monster that was around her completely rather than above or beside. She could not scream, nor feel the pain...

Yet the pain was all about her and she was screaming until lungs burst all at once.

And it was strange. Despite him not being there, despite her hoping to anything that felt willing to listen that he wasn't there, she could feel Yugi's presence amid this power. This power that was destroying her, this power that was pulling her further and further away... It was ironic.

But between the power available, the power that would be driven to recover her at all costs, and her own name... They were losing. All in Tenma's path had fallen, and the monster before her gained power by latching onto a name granted to it through ancient history, a name pronounced as her own. A name that had been screamed and cried with such passion that destruction of the beast was nigh impossible. They were losing...

And even Tenma had yet to realize what was about to be unleashed on the world. Yugi, she wanted to call, slowly closing her eyes back over again to 'sleep'. She would hold on... She would hold on for as long as she could...

But if he didn't come before then...

'_...Help..._'

* * *

When they arrived at the server room the first thing that had come to mind was despite everything relief. Resembling almost ironically an obelisk of sorts in the center of the room, the computer's server towered high above them, with support cables stretching from carefully located bracers at all sides. It glowed quite literally with electricity, and while Katsuya had been staring at the device in awe Mokuba had immediately begun speaking with those who had been forced to remain behind and keep the device running.

But the next thing he noticed was how cold it was- something that Mokuba had stated to be not just unusual, but bad. It should have been the first thing they noticed, the cold temperature. Ordinarily, anyone inside would have been wearing jackets, or even coats.

But the server was beginning to overheat, and with the way things were going they wouldn't be able to prevent the device's inevitable crash. The heating started when Tenma input the card data for the Ja-Shin. The machine began flying through calculation after calculation, desperately searching for reason in the program and casting away everything else. But as Mokuba began snarling curses to Tenma's name, something began to push against his skull. A clouded feeling, a darkening feeling...

He could only dimly hear what was going on now. Mokuba was being told about his sister's location... About how she was fighting, at that moment, atop the Apex Arena...

'_Pull up a camera feed, quick!_'

And that was when the room grew silent, Katsuya's mind absolutely flooding with pain as he bit down on his lip to keep from screaming. That was when the others watched as a black monster punched its way through Seto's form, Mokuba giving a loud and wailing cry at the sight. That was when at least one turned away, maybe more, and opened their mouths as if to cry out as well. That was...

Was...

"Ss_ss-FF_!"

Katsuya collapsed to his knees, fingers digging through knotted blond hair as he struggled to keep silent. If only to keep the others from worrying (but they already were, he thought through hazy thoughts, they were already telling the others-), if only to keep the plate somewhat empty of fear. If only...

Only...

There was a power filling up the air and he could feel it. Clutching his skull and forcing his eyes open he and everyone else could only watch as the server in the center began to spark, entire waves of blinding light crackling over the surface. Scorching the server's casing, filling the air with heat and smoke, making it impossible not to stare, and then...

With a snap a vision came to mind.

Pushing its way past the barrier of the evil gods, tearing his mind from the 'darkness's hold. A single large room, darkening slowly as it was forgotten more and more...

"Yugi."

The headache needed to take second seat, he forced himself to think. The headache, the jashin... None of that mattered until they could make sure they knew where EVERYONE was, what EVERYONE was doing. If all this was happening now...

If Tenma's plan was coming this far...

The blond's eyes widened with realization, and despite the protests of any who he pushed aside, of any who had been reaching for his shoulder, he rushed for the computer that Mokuba was struggling to fix.

"Mokuba!" he shouted hurriedly, the boy jumping from where he was staring at the screen. "Mokuba, I need..." He caught his breath, Mokuba staring at him with still teary eyes. "Mokuba, we need to find Yugi," he said clearly, the servers howling loud enough to almost drown out their voices. "He was trying to stop all of this, if this is happening now-!"

"No way," Honda muttered from behind the two. "You don't think he actually..."

Without even waiting for what might as well have been the 'forbidden word' Mokuba's hands flew to the keyboard, reddened eyes sharpening with resolve. "I'll start looking through the arena rooms," he hurriedly told them, "But not all of them have surveillance; you'll need to get him to answer the com-"

"YUGI! OIII, YU-"

-_smack_!

"OW! What th' hell!" he protested as he looked to Mokuba.

"After I turn the coms on," Mokuba growled, going back to the computer. "He won't hear you at any time before then, Katsuya-nii!"

"Owww... When did y' get so abusive..."

The boy ignored the half-hearted complaint, instead tapping multiple keys before gesturing to the others. "I've hooked us up to the nearest arena," Mokuba began. "All the other ones are in the lower testing floor, and there's only one on the upper levels other than the Apex Arena," he explained. "Now..." The screen crackled for the video portion of the communicator, and to their pleasant surprise it was a shock of black and red hair that met their gaze. "Ah-! Found him!" Katsuya laughed, leaning over to shout into the mike.

"OI! YUGI! YUGI, PICK UP TH' COM!"

The hair twitched somewhat, before turning to reveal Yugi's tear-stained face as the boy stood up to look at the com. "_Jonouchi-kun?_" He blinked, wiping his eyes a little before nodding slowly. "_I... I'm here..._" If only half, given the look...

Oh no... The others paled somewhat, Katsuya pressing on with a swallow. "Yugi! 'M I glad to see you... Honda an' I are with Mokuba in th' server room... Er-” He paused as he glanced at Reiko, who was now still looking at the server in quiet horror. “...we got one 'f th' professors too I guess, but Yugi, we gotta-"

"_Jonouchi-kun,_" Yugi interrupted, sniffs and chocked sobs cutting in and out of his words. "_I... Anzu just... Anzu is... G... G..._" Cold realization began to fill the room as they drew back shortly, the unspoken words left unneeded. Oh HELL... "_Nh... She's de-_" No!

Not yet! "Don't you dare start cryin'!" he snarled, his friend jumping back in surprise as the blond continued. "Yugi... Don' even start, got it!"

"_J-Jonouchi-kun..._"

"An' if th' other Yugi's mopin' around you get him back up too!" Katsuya added fiercely, a slight surprised flash in the boy's eyes telling him his guess was on the dot. "This isn' th' time for cryin', you got that?" he growled. "Yakou's started his project- an' you aren't th' only one in a mess, y' hear?"

"That's right!" Honda added from the side, nodding. "The server here is going completely crazy... And Kaiba just lost to Tenma!"

Yugi's eyes grew with shock, his tears momentarily halted with surprise. "_Kaiba-san lo..._"

"Yugi," Katsuya cut in. "We've almost got control 'f this tower back, but there's still more t' deal with! Mokuba's codes can' get in any further, so we can't do more just yet," he muttered somewhat bitterly. "BUT! That doesn' mean we just give in! We've still got a chance!" he roared, fists clenching as his friend stared back. "We're gonna find Anzu... An' we're gonna get her outta here! But you need to deal with Tenma, got it?"

"Mokuba-sama!" The group turned momentarily, Yugi as well turning a moment before shaking himself and looking back to the screen. One of the few employees in the building rushed over, gesturing to the side. "Mokuba-sama, we've traced the flow of data... Tenma's program is diverting all files from the server into the system he installed on his arrival in one single, concentrated download- look," he continued, pulling a few things on the screen next to Yugi's own. "It's right in the room above-"

"Oh FUCKING hell," Honda hissed, video feed of the very room patching onto the screen with the employee's touch of a button. The others as well paled, Yugi himself growing eerily white with fear. "What the hell is that machine!"

"I don't know, but if I had to guess," Mokuba decided with a swallow, "I'd say that Anzu is..."

His words were unfinished as the quietest of the four trembled, now turned to face the screen with a shuddering voice. He had to feel for the girl really- for all that she'd gotten some courage up in their duel, it was becoming clearer and clearer just how little she knew about the entire mess despite being hired to stand in their path at the end. “_Th...that's... ...a person..._” she whispered in fearful english, her eyes glued to the pod on the screen. “_Th...It's a person..._”

Anzu was the 'end point' of the download. While he doubted the others could see it, there was nothing but darkness around the subconsciously screaming body before them, the body that emitted no sound from a machine that only barely gave them a view of the woman in question. With a hurriedly covered look of horror Katsuya turned back to Yugi, eyes narrowed and filled with grit determination.

"Listen up Yugi," he started seriously, the boy swallowing in response. "Anzu's pretty close t' where we are; it'll be easy f'r us t' get there. But we can't do shit until Tenma's been dealt with. Mokuba's got the codes for the door," he went on, the boy in question hurriedly tapping away at a few keys with the blatant hint, "So don't you worry abou' anythin' in yer way... No more 'card key' crap, got it?" he shouted. "There's no time t' waste... So get goin'! You get up there, an' you guys kick Tenma's ass!"

With wide eyes the tears were stopped, and as they narrowed in determination it seemed that both Yugis were nodding despite only one being on the screen. Standing straighter they wiped their eyes, and then nodded yet again. "_Right!_" they both shouted, clicking the screen off. Time to go...

With a nod of his own Katsuya turned to Mokuba, the boy looking up somewhat hesitantly. "So," the blond asked. "...What's the fastest way upstairs?"

* * *

Now that he was actually aware of things, it seemed the room had gotten a lot darker than it had been to start. "I guess we didn't pay much attention to that," Yugi muttered to himself quietly. "The power's being diverted upstairs I think..."

"_There were more important things at hand_," his other half responded quietly, before appearing at his side. "_...But Jonouchi is right. We need to move._"

"Nn!" Again Yugi nodded, running back to the center of the room until he spotted Gekkou's still unmoving form. "Gh..." He was still there!

"_Tch... Don't tell me he's gone into shock-!_" his other muttered under his breath.

"Haven't you done that before yourself?" the boy found himself murmuring almost nervously, his partner going somewhat red at the comment. Well...

He supposed that wasn't the point in the end he told himself, walking over to where Gekkou still sat. Hah...

"Gekkou-kun," he called out, the man not moving from his place. "...Gekkou-kun... Come on, the door's open," he told him, gesturing to the large door before them now. "Gekkou-kun, we need to leave!"

Silence was again his answer, Gekkou slowly and deliberately shaking his head. "I've already lost," he said quietly, his voice rasping with an almost haunted tone. "I can't go any further..."

"Gekkou-kun..." Yugi stared for a few moments, looking over the obviously broken man before him. One loss, and he was like this. One... "Don't say that!" he insisted, worried eyes shifting into a frown. "There's a path before us right now... And you promised yourself that you would fight for your brother! You told me that when you promised to help me!" he continued, "And one loss shouldn't affect that! If you still feel you want to save your brother then come with me!" Yugi shouted. "There's more than one way to stop this!"

"More..." After lowering his head even more he began to stand, slowly and shakily pulling himself up to his feet. "...What am I doing?" he murmured, berating himself with an almost disgusted frown. "Sulking like this... I've let those cards completely affect my thinking," Gekkou muttered. "Rather than thinking as I should... You're right," he continued, looking to Yugi with a more renewed expression. "This was never about if I was strong enough in a card game. I just hope we aren't too late to get rid of those ja-shin..."

"Gekkou-kun..." The 'curse' of the Ja-shin... Could it be... That it affected them even when they weren't a part of the duel?

Even when they couldn't see it? Looking toward the door, the pair gave each other one short nod before taking off with a run. "Let's go!" Gekkou shouted, disk clacking back into a de-activated position on his arm. "For Yakou... And for your friends!"

"Right!" Now then... "Which way to the roof?" he called to the man, only to blink as his other half floated beside him.

"_I found out that answer earlier,_" he responded clearly. "_Follow me!_"

"Um..." Well, he'd just finished asking Gekkou but he supposed...

"Yugi-san, if we take these stairs-"

"Um, nevermind..." he coughed, walking after his partner.

"What?" Gekkou blinked, watching as his friend ran up in the same direction he'd been about to suggest. "...What?"

"I'll explain later!" he shouted down, "Just, um..."

He froze in place, stumbling to a halt as a shadow moved from ahead. If they looked now, they could make out a dueldisk... But...

"_...How many people have we fought now?_" his other half asked idly, partner blinking as he thought of the answer.

"Um... Not counting Gekkou-kun, six..."

The spirit nodded. "_There are thirteen professors right?_"

"...Yeah..."

At this moment Gekkou came up the stairs, before groaning. "Great," he muttered, "Cedar."

"Cedar?" Yugi repeated with a raised eyebrow, only to turn as 'Cedar' moved from out of the shadows to smirk. It was a little hard to tell exactly how old Cedar was. He could have been anywhere from 18 to 25, with messy brown hair and a fairly slight goatee just beginning to grow on his chin. His overall appearance said 'lazy' but evidently as he clicked his duel disk on, he wasn't so lazy as to ignore them.

"_DAMN_!" he laughed in English, arms somewhat crossed as he rubbed his chin. "_I can't believe you losers made it up this floor... I don't remember a thing from Richie about giving you guys second chances! But_," he lamented, ignoring the fact that the two before him were now looking to the other

and paying his words no mind, "_I can't just let you pass..._" Rggggh...

Regardless of how much of that they understood, the prospect of another road block was just...

"_...Aibou,_" the other Yugi decided with a tense tone. "_If I may?_" The boy did nothing but nod, before moving to run forward despite the confusion of the others.

"Ah- He's not moving!" Gekkou shouted in protest, taking a few steps and reaching out only to frown as Yugi continued at full tilt toward the man. "...Yugi!?"

"EH?"

"Forgive me Aibou," the other Yugi growled aloud, "I might bruise our knuckles! Now... GET OUT OF OUR WAY!"

_-CRACK_

It was all Cedar could do to stumble back with wide eyes at the one-sided statement before the statement itself was quickly justified. Tall as he was it meant nothing after all, if Yugi _jumped_.

And he did jump.

With an echoing crack, Cedar was falling back under the combined force of Yugi's landing weight and his own fist while the boy continued running forward. They weren't stopping for anything they told themselves, the two both switching positions once more despite never skipping a beat in their run.

'_Ah... Sorry Cedar_!' they could hear Gekkou shouting to the cursing man behind them. '_But we don't have time_!' If anything, their time was spent. But regardless of timing, they were coming- and they WOULD reach Yakou!

* * *

In the room where Anzu's body sat, any watching would have been forced to turn away. Whether from the blinding light that now filled the room, the electricity rolling and pulsing impossibly from the device as energies far more powerful than mere 'card data' entered the mind of its captor, or from the state that the body in question was now in.

Locked into the device Anzu's body, formerly almost serene in appearance, _screamed_. She screamed a silent and endless cry of pain, eyes locked shut in a contrasting 'peace' as her body attempted to pull away from the bonds that held it. Cuts began to come on her wrists and ankles where she pulled against the device, her forehead locked too tightly in place to allow it such 'freedom'. And if most looked now that would be all that they saw...

But there were also shadows, if they could even be called that. Pure black in form, dripping from the very top of the tower the oily, oozing substance that formed the 'Avatar's being began to flow. Down, down along the sides of the server's tower, down and over the coiling cables that connected the device to it. It flowed and forced its way into the cuts on Anzu's form, and into the pores of her very skin. Bypassing fabric and metal alike the substance moved...

And above on the tower itself, Willa could do nothing but stare in horror as the man who had hired him as a 'guard' laughed hysterically. "AT LAST!" he cried, somehow still able to breathe through his laughter. "AT LAST! The energies have gathered! The gods have SPOKEN!" he thundered, pulling a single card from his pocket. "And the time... Has come! Now that the chaos within the soul has a body to attach itself to, it can again take form! It can take life yet again, and I will make it so! With this card!" Tenma continued to laugh, holding his deck out with a malicious grin. "With this last piece, he will ARISE... BEHOLD!" the roared, setting the card to the field as a booming clap of thunder came over the air. "THE FRUIT OF THE R.A. PROJECT... I summon... PEGASUS!" P...

Pegasus-!

The air seemed to pull from around them in that very instant, with all the energies of the tower swirling with it. The 'avatar' despite all its blackness began to glow, shining as though it were the sun itself in the black and clouded sky. And then as he stepped back in terror, the great sphere began to really change... And if it were even possible, he could swear he heard a voice...

"_**Your... Payment...**_"

Long, thin tendrils of black 'liquid' began to drop from the sphere before Tenma, pooling on the ground in a small puddle. From the puddle arose flames and oil alike, completely black and rising up ever so slowly to create one single being from its power. Shoes were the first to come, followed by the 'white' pants if it could be called that in the darkness. But from within the clothing arose such things as bones and nerves, vessels of blood and the meat that would become muscle, all wrapped in skin. The cloth moved up faster soon enough however, only beaten by areas that were never covered to begin with, and as the hands developed they slowly moved to clench tight upon themselves. The orb that was avatar glowed brighter... Stronger, more powerful, and the form began to take shape even more quickly-!

And then it stopped.

"Huh...?" Willa moved around the arena as Tenma himself began to shake his head, silently muttering things under his breath as the Avatar seemed to freeze and tremble. As the form of Pegasus, complete save for the only real eye that they themselves had ever known, stood before them in wax-like form.

"Why did it stop?" he muttered, wide eyes unable to turn away. "Why..."

With a sudden shock-wave of wind the power dissipated from the field. The Avatar suctioned in on itself, becoming a black-hole of sorts as a howling wail came over the air. Smoke and dust was all that remained of the creature as it burned away, falling into nothing...

With horror filled eyes Tenma shook. Frozen in place he shook, looking to the still frozen figure of his deceased teacher in desperation. "P... Pegasus? Pegasus!"

-_clk... crck-clk... crk.._.

All eyes turned to Kaiba, the man still slumped over in exhaustion. Though his arms were at his side something had crackled from where he sat, something small...

And with a slow, deliberate and shaking hand the teen managed to force himself to grasp the radio that was clasped upon his coat collar. "_Status_... ...M... Mokuba..."

"You... YOUUUUUUU!" In a fit of rage Tenma flew toward the teen, grabbing him by the coat to pull him forward with alarming ease. "What did you DO!" he wailed, eyes red and filled with desperate insanity. "What did you DO! You did something! WHAT IS IT!"

The radio answered for them. "_We got it, nee-sama!_" a voice called out in Japanese, the only one with the ability to comprehend the meaning of the familiar term too far gone to think anything of it. "_It took a bit, and Katsuya-nii and Honda probably got to the other room by the time it did... But the code took affect!_" Did that radio say 'code'?

"Hnhnhnhnhn... Hnhnhahaha..." Despite all his weakness Kaiba managed to look Tenma straight in the eye with a twisted and triumphant smirk, sweat still dripping down the man's face as he laughed. "Haven't you guessed?" he wheezed out, shaking with both laughter and fatigue in Tenma's grip. "You may have created that twisted program... But I just put an end to it!"

"But that's impossible!" Tenma snarled in desperation, shaking the man violently with almost every word. "IMPOSSIBLE! How... HOW!"

"Hnhnhnhnhn... Just one card..." he responded weakly, the blood draining from Tenma's face as grip slowly loosened to lower the weakened teen. "Someone's still fighting... You said your 'guinea pig' summoned your God?" he continued, smirk widening despite the situation. "Well... You can thank them for putting a wrench in your plans... Because they obviously didn't win with it!"

"No..."

As Tenma shook with disbelief Kaiba continued to speak, his grin small and forced at best with the obvious pain he felt. "The code I made needed only a single card of data to piggy back on into your server... And it looks like," he added, voice somehow growing louder, "This 'virus' meant to restore the server destroyed your precious 'God' as well!"

"No... No, no, NO!" Tenma snarled, grip tightening as he threw Kaiba away. "YOU... YOU-! RRRHHAA_AAAAAAGHHHH_!"

"Gh-!" As Kaiba fell Willa could see his heel catch the edge of the ground. His foot collapsed beneath his weight and his body continued to fall back, Willa's eyes widening in alarm.

"Wooa_aaahhh_ CRAP... WOAH-!" With no time to lose he jumped beneath the falling teen's form, arms wrapping around him before he himself was thrown back by the weight. "Ghnn... Shit," he wheezed, moving his arms up somewhat in attempt to push the man off of him. "You might not look it but you weigh a t-" He froze, flexing his hand a moment while the one in his arms as well tensed. "Woah..." He frowned, tilting his head. "WOOOO_OOOO-AH_..." The teen looked toward Kaiba, the CEO in question growing fairly red-faced and enraged as their eyes met. "Those are DEFINITELY-"

"Let go, and_ bite your_ _tongue_," the 'man' snarled warningly, "Before I find something that can do it FOR YOU."

He did as he was told very, very quickly. "Aaaaaa-haha_haaaaa_..." Shiiiiiiiiiiit...

"Pegasus..."

The two teens both looked toward the arena, Willa managing to pull himself out from the... Person (_he definitely felt boobs!_) with minor difficulty. Somehow despite the Avatar being long gone, 'Pegasus' was still there...

But he was motionless, and even stone-like in appearance. "Pegasus," Tenma repeated desperately, his face hidden from those below. "Pegasus.. Please, open your eye... Open your eye," he begged as the hologram smoked, voice wavering. "Please, please..." The hologram continued to mist...

And then it smoked. It burst into flames and vanished with the wind, Tenma unable to do more than back away in horror. "No... No, no no!" he cried, clawing at his head as the figure faded completely. "NO... NO! PEGASUS! PEGASUS!"

"Holy shit..." Willa stared with wide eyes as Tenma collapsed, Kaiba merely leaning against the safety rail with a look of caution in 'his' eyes. "They both disappeared," he finally said. "The R.A. project failed..." It was over...

It was all...

"Still fighting," Tenma suddenly said aloud, slowly standing to turn toward them with wide and horrific looking eyes. "You said someone was still fighting?" he repeated, moth slowly cracking into a grin. "Hnhnhn... Hnhnhahahahaha... HAHAH_AHAHAAAA_!" As the others pulled back and stared Tenma continued to laugh, hands held to the skies as the clouds continued to converge. "Then the project CONTINUES!" he cried in triumph. "Now I can revive Pegasus with even more power than BEFORE! HAHAHAHAHAAAAA!" Ohhhh shit...

"So..." Willa coughed out at a whisper. "You think of something for your buddies in there in the event that this guy keep going? Because I'm not so sure about his mentality any more." As he looked back to receive a dark glare for his efforts he sighed, instantly turning back to the field. "Yeah," he muttered under his breath. "Didn't think so..."

* * *

-_CLNK_

"Ow-! FUCK-!" Katsuya hissed, freezing in place to rub his nose. "Damn it Honda, you kicked me in the face!"

From slightly ahead his friend shrugged, or at least attempted to. At the moment both were slowly making their way through the largest ducts in the building's ventilation, in what was probably the most cramped position they would ever be in for the rest of time. It was noisy as hell, and just as dark, but while the guards would obviously hear them they also weren't properly armed as the earlier brawls had proven.

So it was either they alert the guards to their presence through the ventilation and listen as they attempted to find a way to catch them, or allow the crowd outside the server room entry to the inside as they left. Reiko had very kindly handed them a coin as Mokuba pointed them to the grate at the side while explaining that. Which made a fair bit of sense he supposed.

But still. "My bad," Honda called back. "Felt like you were spacing out behind me."

"How th' hell can it 'feel' like I'm spacing out!"

The answer came a little quicker than he preferred. "You stop moving."

It was dryer than preferred too. "Asshole!"

Another shrug. "Hey, if it keeps you from collapsing in here..." Alright. He supposed he had a point but...

"You have t' kick me in the face for that!"

"Yep." AAAAAGH- "Now come on, we need to move," his friend reminded him.

"Yeah yeah..." Sheesh... "'S too damn tight in here," he muttered under his breath, slowly inching forward 'seal-style' on the ground. "An' dark..."

"Yeah, well deal with it," Honda whispered in response. "It was this or nothing; you're lucky I still had paper on me for a map," he added, holding the paper 'up' behind him. "We'd be screwed otherwise."

"How the hell are y' even readin' tha'," he groaned, holding his head in his hands. "I can' even see my own hands..."

"That's because I'm blocking your light, dumbass." Oh was that it.

"Great... Glad t' know I'm in safe hands then," he muttered, before reeling back as something collided with his face again. "OW! HONDA, YOU ASSHOLE!"

"My bad..." Rgg...

"Show you 'my bad'," he grumbled to himself, slowly crawling up behind Honda. "I..."

Woah... Hang on...

He froze in place, squinting as he looked ahead. "Hey Honda?" he asked warily, swallowing back a wave of unease as he waited for an answer.

"Yeah," his friend responded from directly in front of him. "What now?"

"You... You c'n still see th' outline 'f yer own hand in th's kinda light right? Even when it's darker?" he asked with a swallow.

"Yeah- You could see yourself in even pitch black," Honda said with a shrug. "Far as I know at least. ...Why?" he added cautiously.

"...No reason," he said with a swallow, forcing himself to move again despite the locking sensation that came over his limbs. "None at all..."

But he hoped to hell that this blindness was as far as whatever 'darkness' from his dreams went...

Because this was the last place he wanted to start seizing he thought as he grabbed at his head, the last of his thoughts fading as he collapsed.

* * *

The Elders are outside the door now.

The boy knows this not because of any sound they may have made, nor any word they may have given, but because of his own 'heart'. For his heart the dragon tells him, has roots in the soul. And the soul, so guarded by the creature which protects him from Darkness' hold as others do for their own partners, has roots in shadow.

And as such his heart cries to him in the form of a vision, warning him of what is yet to come. That is how the Dragon explains his ability, and the boy trusts the dragon's word. The elders have been waiting outside the room for quite some time though. Typically by now they would have pulled him by the ear and berated him for entering the chamber, but instead they stand behind them. They are waiting, he has realized.

Waiting either for the time to strike, or for their prey to walk unwittingly into their fingers. Neither of these two will happen.

"They're here," he says simply, not yet turning to face those who slowly move close from behind. Those who move with the grace of thieves, a grace he has never learned to master. "They're in the room," the boy tells his friend, "And they're here. Dragon..."

The dragon gives a low sigh, rubbing his face against the boy's cheek. "_Fear not child_," he tells the boy, the heat from his nostrils sending sparks above the boy's head. "_Listen to your heart and soul and it will give you protection. Listen..._"

The boy closes his eyes and nods- but it is not his heart he hears next. "Hey! There you are-!" Neker pushes past the elders, but the boy can see this without even turning around. In fact as Neker stumbles forward in the cloak he's worn over the years, the boy feels something is out of place...

"Neker," the boy realizes almost dully. "Your sash is coming undone. ...your small knife is going to fall."

The elders tense, and turn to Neker for proof of this. And Neker himself pauses, smile fading as he looks down- tending to the sash only for a small 'thud' to echo in the chamber as a blade falls to the ground.

The boy can only laugh. "Hahaha! Right again!" he cries, scooping the weapon up and tucking it back into place. "Incredible..! That's-"

"Truly a blessing," one of the elders mutter, staff clomping against the ground as he steps forward. "Truly a blessing, to see around instead of merely forward," he adds greedily. "Tell us Neker, what is it that your friend speaks to?"

As the boy slowly turns his head to look at the side the dragon growls and Neker, ever oblivious, explains with cheer. "It's the dragon! The dragon of the shadows!" he laughs, unaware of the ill intent that sits on the air. "He's the one that we both sit with when we have the time, he tells the best stories!"

He looks to the dragon with those words, but again his smile falters. For the dragon has nothing but anger and fear in his eyes when he looks to Neker... He growls from behind the boy, the sound kept as silent as possible but with furls of smoke from his nostrils giving his ever growing rage away. "_Child_," he growls lowly, "_Why have you brought them here..?_"

Neker again falters, and swallows. "Because... It's not fair," he says clearly, bowing his head whilst elders listen curiously. There are tears dotting his eyes, and the boy does not need to turn to see it. There are tears, and his friend is crying for him. "He deserves more than me... He's better than me, he..." As Neker falls silent the boy turns very slowly to face the crowd, trembling in place and breathing irregularly. He wishes that they could see the dragon. Truly, he does. But they are blind- they will never see.

And nothing can change that now.

The only thing they see is a scared boy who now clings unconsciously to the dragon's scaled foreleg, wide eyes filled with terror. And the elders...

Have made their decision. "Bring him to the chamber," the eldest of the twelve order. "We will reveal this shadow of his whether he wants it or not!"

No...

Strong arms grab him and the dragon roars,only to be held back by the shadows of the elders. Neker cries in shock as he's knocked back, and he can only follow behind the crowd as his friend is dragged away, and as chaos arises from what was meant to be peace.

"NO!" the boy screams, kicking at the dirt and sand and flailing as he attempts to grab at a foot hold. "No NO, you can't! You can't!"

"SILENCE," they snarl. "You owe us this much!" No! No, this isn't right! This isn't!

"NO!"

* * *

"JONOUCHI!" Katsuya's eyes snapped open and almost immediately he drew back, raising his arm as much as possible as a shield. In the distance of the tunnel he could make out Honda's form, which was backing up down the vent crossing their own. The light around him was coming from a grate... More proof that his 'blindness' hadn't been normal in any way, and with a low groan he looked back to his friend.

"Gh..."

"Jonouchi," Honda repeated, voice echoing off the walls. "Hey! What the heck are you doing back here?" he asked, his friend ignoring him a moment as he shook off the rest of his drowsiness. "Oi..! Jonouchi!"

'_...Perhaps this way is better..._'

'_You seemed to know your way around rather well before._'

'_…_' Was that...

Hey, those voices were coming from outside weren't they? Katsuya held a hand up for Honda to stop, his friend frowning as the blond looked through the grate. "Hold on a sec'," he said quietly, "I think I c'n hear..."

Footsteps came down the hall and soon enough a familiar head of red, black and gold came into view. The second in the group was partially unseen. With the angle of the grate, he couldn't see the man's head, but from what he could tell Yugi (the other Yugi if he was right) was talking to him about directi-

"Sff-!" The blond froze, cutting all thoughts short as the head of the other person came into view. Shifting his weight the grate beside him was kicked open, those below immediately looking up and to the side as it clattered to the ground.

"What-"

The blond tumbled out to land on his feet, Yugi frowning somewhat while the one beside him stared. "Jonouchi-!"

"Outta th' way Yugi!" he said swiftly, charging the pair with darkening eyes. "HH_AH-_"

"AH- Jonouchi, hold on-!"

"Eh!?"

-_CRACK_

"MM_MNPHHH!_" While Katsuya hopped somewhat in place to pull his fist back for another blow, 'Tenma' gave a muffled cry, falling back to the ground and cupping a now bleeding nose. "MM_Mgggghh_..!"

"J-JONOUCHI!"

"Take that, TENMA!" Katsuya spat, knuckles cracking as 'Tenma' looked up in mild confusion. "An' get up! I got plen'y more where tha' came from!"

"AH- Jono-"

"Hold on a sec' Yugi, this'll only take a second-"

"JONOUCHI!"

He groaned. "C'mon Yugi, I've been itchin' t' show th's guy f'r earlier an' y' know it!"

"Jonouchi!" The blond sighed, looking to his friend and frowning. Hang on, what was with the look of exasperation... As the boy shook his head and moved to help the other up from the ground he looked back, watching as Katsuya tilted a head in confusion. "This," he explained, "Is Gekkou- the one helping us. This isn't 'Yakou Tenma'." Oh.

Um... "...What."

He blinked a few times, watching as 'Gekkou' stood and wiped some blood from his nose before bowing his head. "Pleased to meet you," he said somewhat dizzily, voice a little clogged sounding from the blocked nose.

Katsuya blinked. "...Wait, this is..."

Yugi gave a wry smile, shaking his head. "You didn't honestly think I wouldn't have done that to 'Yakou' Tenma myself did you?" Noooo, he'd have thought he'd get a penalty game or whatever but...

His eyes widened with realization as he looked over Gekkou, face paling and voice cutting in and out as he tried to speak. "Ooooooh shii_iiit!_" he cried out with a wince, "An' I totally decked y' there too! Aww... Shit," he repeated, shuffling awkwardly and turning away from Gekkou's still confused stare. "You've got the same face but... ...Damn, Yugi ev'n mentioned workin' his way up with a twin," he muttered, Gekkou merely watching with a still confused, if not slightly bemused smile. He probably had no idea how Yugi had told him about that...

Ehehe... "It's... Fine," he managed, giving a slight sniff before wincing and continuing on. "Really, I probably deserved that..." Erm...

Not likely actually... "Yeah, try not t' sniff 'r anything... Ah... Not th' best thing w' tha' nose," he muttered, a loud 'thump' behind him telling him that Honda had gotten tired of waiting.

Honda for his part stayed a fair distance away, taking in the sight of his friends both tending to 'Tenma's nose with narrow-eyed confusion. "What in the..." He tilted his head, unsure of whether or not he should move. "...This gets weirder and weirder..." Yeah well deal with it. The blond abruptly froze as yet another voice came to mind however, hurriedly passing it off as 'contemplating the nose' while he frowned. Someone was laughing in the back of his mind...

And if he was right, that 'someone' was not someone who should have been alive...

"So..." And he'd be damned if he let that distract the others... "You guy's 're abou' t' say somethin' about Yakou bein' good at some point righ'?" he asked conversationally, putting his 'ability' to slight use as he tried to pay attention to the dull muttering far behind him.

"Um... Yes actually," Gekkou answered, blinking in surprise. "How did you..."

'_Well look who came outta hiding.._.' Crap, looked like he was right about the 'dead voice'. It was a hell of a lot closer than he thought.

"Er, Jonouchi," Honda hissed, having apparently spotted said 'dead voice', "Might wanna look behind you..."

"Hold on," he said dismissively. "Alrigh'... So th' same things causin' me a headache did this then, those evil 'gods'," he 'asked' with quotations, "'M I righ'?"

Again Gekkou nodded, looking completely taken back by what the blond was telling him. "Again, exactly right... ...They're causing you _headaches_?" he asked worriedly, only to blink as he was literally waved off by teen.

"Jonouchi," his friend again whispered, "Seriously, you might want to see this!"

The blond continued to ignore him, crossing his arms in 'thought'. "Hmmm... So you're figurin' tha' if y' get rid 'f th' cards, he'll go back t' normal then..."

"You're oddly open with your 'visions' today," Yugi muttered dryly, his lighter half even appearing at the side to stare owlishly. "Are you alright?"

"...Visions?" Gekkou hissed. "He's psychic?"

'_Kehehe... I haven't felt this good since I first woke up..!_' Damn it shut up voice. "Explain later!" Katsuya cheerfully decided, grabbing both Yugi and Gekkou by the shoulders before lightly steering them toward the door he 'somehow' knew they would have to take. "Go on, go on, you guys gotta get movin'!" he laughed, the 'light' Yugi still staring as he nonetheless followed along.

"_Umm... Jonouchi-kun?_"

"Erm- What are you-"

"Jonouchi, what's going on?"

"O-Oiii, Jonouchi-!"

"Shut up Honda and get y'r ass in gear, Anzu needs savin'!"

"My a- What the _hell_!" he barked, momentarily forgetting to warn the group about the coming 'threat'.

And still the blond ignored the confused or annoyed comments, even as the 'voice' became clomping footsteps against the floor behind him. "C'mon, c'mon," he urged them, continuing to 'herd' them toward the door as the one behind him began to shake with rage. "Le's g-"

"You little shit..." The group froze, Honda going so far as to smack his head as the group looked toward what he'd been talking about before tensing. With the very same black leather boots as the Duelist Kingdom, shades hiding bloodshot eyes, Keith Howard stood directly before them...

And he was not pleased.

"God damn it Jonouchi-! What the hell do you think you're doing, ignoring me when I'm trying to talk to you!"

Honda sighed, holding his head in one hand. "Annnnd here comes another kick to what I deem 'reality'..." Heh.

Try being him. Katsuya continued to ignore the American to the side as he stormed forward, the blond well aware that Keith was red with rage and well prepared for a fight. "HEY! Turn around and face me!" he snarled, knuckles cracking as his face continued to contort with fury, "BEFORE I PUT A HOLE BETWEEN YOUR EYES!"

This time Honda's face was as well filled with shock, the wide eyes of the others slowly turning as the sound of their friend laughing met the air. "J... Jonouchi?" Yugi asked somewhat hesitantly, still blinking rather owlishly at everything.

"Hahhhh..." The blond moved his hands from the others shoulders, giving a loud and obvious sigh. "Man..! Speak of the DEVIL!" he laughed, turning to face Keith with an almost nasty smirk. "These 'bit-players' jus' won' shut up..! How's it hangin' Keith?" he asked with a grin. "Haven' seen you since y' decided t' take a visit from the stone age!"

"You... Kheheh_ehehehehe_..." While the others decided to look uncomfortable in the face of crazed laughter the blond swallowed, watching the American with wary eyes. "Jou... Nou... Chi..." Keith hissed, flexing and clenching his hands as he continued forward. "I'm back from the grave to fight you you know," he chuckled darkly, not at all missing the slight swallow of unease his target had at the fact. "I came back here... To destroy you!" he roared, wide and unstable grin covering his face completely. Tch...

Well didn't that just figure... The blond abruptly tensed, eyes taking in the form that stood before him with a sudden growing fear. As though the devil himself stood before him... As though hell came with Keith when he returned from the grave, shadows were covering him in a wraith-like and translucent manner. The prospect of fighting a 'zombie' had already been putting him on edge not that he planned to show it. But now...

"...Yugi, you move on ahead," Katsuya said quietly, cheerful expression swiftly replaced immediately with a look of dread and severity. "I'll handle this guy, alrigh'?"

Yugi frowned, shaking his head. He'd caught his friend's expression- and he wasn't stupid. "Jonouchi-"

"Hey!" The boy closed his mouth, and Katsuya went on. "I said I'd handle it, alrigh'? Jus' trust me on this an' deal w' Tenma, kay? Sides," he added with a smirk, turning to look toward his decided opponent. "I've beat th's guy once... I know 'xactly how th's match is gonna go, far 's I can w' out actually seein' it, hehehe!"

"Jonouchi... ...Heh." Giving in his friend smiled, shaking his head before flashing the blond a grin. "Alright! Go for it, Jonouchi!"

"'F course!" he laughed, "What else! Now go on!" Katsuya shouted, the other two nodding and taking off. "...An' you too Honda," he added quietly.

The teen balked. "Wha- What the hell do you mean, 'me too', we're supposed to be getting Anzu!"

"Yeaaaah," he laughed in response, "An' y' wan' someone like Keith followin' us there?" Katsuya warned quietly. His friend responded with silence. "Trus' me," the blond muttered, eyes drifting over what looked to be a jet-black duel disk on the American's arm. "This ain' goin' away."

Honda stared for a moment, the two sharing looks before he gave in. "Hah... Fine," he decided, turning to head in the direction the vents had been leading him. "But you better move got it? Anzu's heavy you know," he said with a wink. "Can't move her on my own!"

"...Honda..." He pulled a small, impish smirk, as though wondering whether to smile or not. "I'm gonna tell her you said that..."

The teen rolled his eyes, deciding not to respond. "Yeah whatever... Just hurry up and get here alright?" he called back, running past Keith with an edgy glance over his shoulder. Keith couldn't care less what Honda did after all- he didn't care about the 'R.A.' project, and his current disk was testament to that.

So with one final shout Honda kept running, soon vanishing around another corner with a wave.

"Don't you dare lose! And try not to pass out!" ACK-

He had to say that out loud! "Kheheh_ehehe_..."

Katsuya suppressed a slight shudder at the sound of Keith's laugh, instead facing the man with a cold glare. That black duel-disk... Belonged to the strongest of the Card Professors. He knew that not only because of what his 'gut' told him, but because of the magazines and articles that Yugi occasionally collected from the store front of the Kame Game. It belonged to Richie Merced, a duelist with a history in street and gang fighting. Which meant that if Keith had taken him out, it hadn't been an easy task...

Which meant despite all his lip this would be one hell of a fight he told himself, swallowing as Keith moved to speak. "SO!" he laughed, wolfish grin refusing to die. "Long time no see, 'Joey'..." Tch. Again with the 'Joey', what was with that...

"Real long!" Katsuya responded with a smirk. "Seein' how yer f'rgettin' my name... But what's this?" he continued, drawing out the taunting as long as he could. "You used t' be all big, fightin' in Duelist Kingdom with a band 'f mooks! Since when did you become a mook y'self Keith? Owe Tenma a favor now?" the blond added with a laugh, his opponent merely snorting as he spat to the side.

"Keh! As if I give a rat's ass about what that horse-fucker thinks! Tenma's got nothing to do with this! But then again," Keith went on with a laugh, a slightly shadowed feeling coming over Katsuya as the man spoke, "I guess I owe the guy in a way... Seeing how I got my brains blown out by Pegasus' penalty game, and he went and brought me back with no questions asked..." Gh...

And here he'd thought the death deals weren't literal, he was getting it from the horse's mouth! Again Katsuya swallowed, and in front of him Keith continued on.

"Don't figure you give a flying fuck about what happened in the Kingdom though," he sneered, moving into a 'duelist's stance' as he spoke. "Nah... What matters now is that I'm alive and I'm here... Can't get back at Pegasus!" he snarled insanely, grin growing forced before contorting into a scowl. "But you know what, that's the thing about grudges! They give you a reason to live, a reason to keep coming back from the grave... Hehehehehe... And while Pegasus is gone, there's still one person left who I want nothing more than to see dead at my FEET!" Keith spat. "You and Pegasus ruined me!" he roared. "You sent me down to the grave!"

"So y' come back from th' grave t' get payback then?" Katsuya responded shortly. "Pretty p'thetic if y' ask me... Should've stayed dead in my opinion!"

More laughter met the air, and despite the shades Katsuya could almost make out Keith's eyes beneath the tinted glass. "HAH! That what you think then 'brat'? Well try this on for size... Wasn't easy to get here you know! Only reason I could is because of the fact I died! Ironic don't you think?" he leered, relishing in his opponent's unease. "Cause you know what... When I came out, Tenma was starved for information... So when I told him that I spotted Pegasus on the other side-"

"WH- You met Pegasus?!" Keith seemed to stop in genuine confusion as the blond across him balked, the American seeming to almost wonder if his opponent was being honest or not. "Are... Are you serious..! You met Pegasus' gh... Ghost!" H-Hihhhhh-! Scary, scary, sca-

"GHAHAHA_HAHAAA_! What the fuck kind of moron are you?" Keith howled, holding his head as he doubled over in laughter. "Of course not! I remember dick all from when I was dead!" ...Oh. Well.

...That was somewhat upsetting. But wait...

"Hnhnhnhnhn... Course Tenma didn't know that," Keith was laughing, still grinning enough to put the cheshire cat to shame. "In fact, I think he'd have believed me no matter what I said! So you know," he continued crazily, "I figured what the hell! This was my shot at fighting you again! So who was the last person to see Pegasus that was connected to you?" Oh no... "Well... That was Yugi Mutou of course!" Keith laughed, ignorant to the growing rage from across him. "Hnhnhahaha... And when I told him that Pegasus was murdered by Yugi Mutou, champion of the Duel Monster's game, you and your buddies were instantly short-listed as sacrifices to the R.A. project... Hnhnhnhnhn... HAHAHA_HAHAHAAAA_! And now you're here!" Keith laughed almost incredulously. "Just as I figured, you're-"

"So that's how th's all started," Katsuya said quietly, the man across from him cutting himself short at the 'unusual' tone. "You wanted to duel me... So you dragged in my friends. You named Yugi as a murderer," he began, "Allowed S... Kaiba's company to fall into Tenma's hands... And you put Anzu in line for d'monic possession!" he roared, Keith's laughter slowing somewhat as he listened. "You... F'r all tha', you almos' killed her... For nothin' but a duel, somethin' y' could'a just called me up about, you put all my friends in DANGER! I'm fightin' you alrigh' Keith! I'm gonna give yah all I've got!" he snarled, fists clenching until they shook. "An' when you find yerself at Hell's gates again, they won' even recognize your face! NOW!" the blond snarled, disk clicking into place with one swift movement before the deck within it shuffled for use. "LETS DUEL!"

"Heheha_haHAAAA_!" Cards were drawn and hands were decided, and as he usually did he had no need to look down. With nothing to do other than glare however, he found his gaze half-hearted despite all the intent behind it. The shadows around Keith were thickening. Coiled around his legs, flowing and flaming about him like some liquid flame...

Tearing his mind from those thoughts however he drew his sixth card, putting it on the field almost immediately. "I put a card face down!" the blond cried, "An' I summon th' Little Winguard in defense mode!" The field reacted to the card's touch and Katsuya became silent for a moment as he watched tall desert stone rise up from behind. Though it was typical for the newly risen stone of the defensive to remain dormant however, he found a nagging feeling of dread pushing against him when he looked to the tablet. It seemed more dead somehow. Grey...

Lifeless...

"End turn," he managed to call out in the end. "Your move, asshole!"

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." These shadows that swirled around him couldn't be anything good... "Alright then... One card face down!" he shouted, opponent briefly wondering why seeing more Japanese-typed cards brought surprise to mind, "And Motor Shell in defense mode!" Motor shell?

The tablet rose up as Keith announced the end of his turn, numbers coming to mind before a smirk followed. "Gh- HaHA_HA_! Seriously? That's all y' got?" he laughed, gesturing to the 'shell' in the stone. "For someone who talks big, you sure don' deliver too well, Keith!"

"Tch! Bite it!" Keith retorted, scowling only briefly. "I've been waiting a long time to deal with you... Far too long to just finish you off and be done with it! Hnhnheheheee..." Tch...

Damn creeper. As if he wasn't bad enough before all this... If he hadn't been over the edge then, he was sure as hell over it now! "My turn," he snarled, drawing his next card. For now, he'd leave Winguard in defense, just in case. But with a target like this sitting before him... "I summon th' Panther Warrior!" Katsuya called, stone rising from the ground as the familiar black-furred swordsman charged forward from it. "Go get 'm Panther!" he continued, the American before them slowly beginning to shake with rage. "ATTACK-"

"Trap activate!" Keith snarled, tablet at his side suddenly spitting multiple imp like creatures carrying enormous mechanic's tools above their heads. "Engine Tuner! Motor Shell gains half his defense points in power!" he laughed, grin widening as his opponent scowled. The scowl however quickly vanished as the imps went to work, tools flying over the Motor Shell's parts. What were once wheellike devices mashed together to form a large ball on a chain, and as the Panther Warrior skidded to a halt, Katsuya realized something important at an all too late moment.

The Panther hadn't said a word since his summoning. And as he turned around, opening his mouth to say something while Keith's monster smashed through him with the ball and chain... No words passed into the air. Katsuya stared, eyes widening as the Panther attempted to repeat his words, but in the end he could only swallow. He couldn't hear...

Why couldn't he hear-

He couldn't hear his monster as it sank, not into dust, nor even smoke or sand, but into a thick black sludge that joined with the shadows at Keith's feet. "HehehaHAHA! What's the matter Joey?" his opponent cackled, not at all ignorant to the blond's growing horror. "Having doubts? You really are an amateur, you know that?" he hissed, both Katsuya and the Panther turning on him with narrowed eyes. Hn!

"Amateur?" he repeated with a snarl. "Las' I checked, this 'amateur' beat yah almost a year ago! It's been ages since then," the blond continued fiercely. "You can't call me amateur any more... I'm gonna place one card face down an' then end my turn," he continued with a swallow. "...Yer move..."

"Hehehehehe... Back to me then," Keith sneered, drawing and moving cards with a grace that far betrayed the rest of his actions. "First... Another card face down!" he decided, 'smile' growing into a dark grin. "Next! The Motor Shell attacks," he roared. "CANNON BALL!"

The rapidly flying ball launched forward in nothing but a blur but Katsuya could see it clear as day. "Act'vate trap!" he countered, gesturing toward the Winguard's tablet with a nod. "Fairy Box!" As opposed to the typical box that would appear however, the tablet with the spell instead grew around Winguard's stone- "H- Hihh!"

The blond hurriedly dodged to the side as the ball came his way, watching as Motor Shell's metal 'cannon-ball' barreled forward to shatter the tablet to nothing but dust on the air. The tablet had been destroyed, true- but the Winguard's stone was still intact, leaving a scowling Keith and a grinning Katsuya in its wake.

"What..." Keith's eyes widened behind his sunglasses, a growl developing in the back of his throat. "What the fuck kind of card was that!" he snarled, pointing to where he likely saw the hologram. "What the hell was that!"

"Tha's called strategy!" the blond countered with a grin. "Now... My turn! An' I know jus' what I need t' beat th's thing!" he continued, grin growing wider as he drew his next card. The monster was sitting in his very hand... And as he set it to the field, the Winguard's tablet instantly wiped itself clean of engraving. "I tribute th' Little Winguard t' summon my newest monster," he announced proudly, dust swirling as it formed the white and blue armor of the smaller monster's mentor. "Th' Divine Knight Ishzark! Now," he went on, the Knight in question stepping from his tablet with a nod and another bout of silence that his summoner struggled to ignore, "Attack! BREAK DOWN DISTORTION!"

"Ch-!" Keith stumbled back, but not from any damage done on the field. Ishzark's blade had easily cut through the monster before him, but the attack itself hadn't reached the monster's summoner. Regardless, it was some damage...

And for that, he was feeling a little more grateful than he likely would have ordinarily. "Heh! So how does tha' feel?" the blond laughed, only to frown as he looked to where the monster had once sat. There was now a pile of spare parts on the field...

Identical to the ones the Engine Tuners had been carrying... "Kehehehehe... Whoops!" Keith chuckled, hands tucked somewhat in his vest pocket. "Guess amateurs can't read, eh, Joey? Anything equipped with Engine Tuner leaves behind the spare parts as a token... Not to mention, I can equip it to any other machine I summon on my turn! Khehehehehe... So..." Rrrrg...

He knew it would happen, but damn it if he hadn't have attacked what good would it have done him anyway! "I'll put another card face down," he spat, gaze moving from the Motor Part to Keith as he attempted to ignore the silent monster at his side. "Turn end!"

"Hehehehehehe..." Keith continued to chuckle as he drew his next card, scarcely giving it a glance as he leered at his opponent. "Well damn!" he laughed as he made his move. "Looks like your attack left me something good!" Heh? As the fragmented pile of scrap began to sink into sludge his opponent continued, seemingly ignorant to the fact that he was being ignored. "Check it out," the American cried. "I sacrifice the Motor Part to summon this! Motor Violence! A monster who," he continued, Katsuya watching the beast rise up from the black pool beneath it, "Thanks to this 'Engine Tuner', is as powerful as a seven star monster! HAHAHAHAHA!" Ahhhhhh SHIT.

The engine tuner's 'imps' didn't need to move a muscle for the card's magic to work it seemed- already the mechanical beast was armed and armored, aiming triple barrel guns directly at Ishzark's skull. "Get ready!" Keith roared, needlessly pointing the monster forward. "ATTACK! MOTOR CANNON!"

Not a sound was made as the bullets shot forward, and it was all Katsuya could do to duck behind his arm as he was pushed back against one of his tablets by the shock-wave. Despite being unable to hear the other, Ishzark had gotten the message he'd attempted to give him- a relief if anything, but there was still a cold feeling of dread watching the monster melt away. There wasn't much time though he forced himself to remember. Not much at all, and with nothing but will he forced the tablet behind him to activate. The same one he'd used to win against this guy the last time...

Trap card- 'Time Machine'!

"What the fuck..." As smoke rose from the sludge that had pooled beneath Katsuya's feet his opponent stared, going so far as to step back as the shadows that had been prepared to meet darkness began to mist and smoke into another form. "What the hell-" Metal rose behind the blond's back, spiraling and smoking and shaking as it appeared. Details began to form across a door, a window of glass clearing in the mist. With an ominous creak the door of the floating device opened, and as the smoke around it revealed the enormous steel device Keith realized just what it was. "You... That's my CARD!" he roared, face growing red the more Katsuya's own grin grew. "You FUCKING SON OF A-"

"What, this thing here?" Katsuya laughed, shrugging the curses off with ease. "Were you lookin' for it then?" he asked, grin widening. "Well... Not like you were using it any more," the blond continued with a smirk. "After all... After our fight in th' Duelist Kingdom, you went an' left all th' cards in a rage-quit 'r somethin' along th' lines! I figured you didn't care," he went on as he shrugged, "So what th' hell? I found yer card in my deck, but I didn' see th' point in lettin' it just go t' waste either..."

Of course, graverobber was the one who had put it there, but as though he was saying that aloud...

And oooooh, he was pissed. "You god damned brat... You-!" The more Keith seethed the more the shadows rose Katsuya suddenly realized, his grin falling as his opponent again began to chuckle. "Well... Big deal," he snarled, gesturing to the monster he had on the field. "You think you're so great? All you did was bring the Knight back to life! All I need to do is take him out again and it'll all be over for you... Man," the American snorted, shaking his head. "You can't even use the card properly," he spat. "What a pathetic-"

Heh. "That what y' think?" he asked, a small and triumphant grin appearing on his face. "Tha' I can' use even a single card properly?" he continued, a blade far different from Ishzark's appearing as the doors of the time machine began to open. "Think again!" Katsuya announced as thunder pealed, the shadows almost shrinking back as strong armored arms lined not in white but in gold began to pull out from the machine. "I act'vated one other card Keith! TAKE OVER! By sendin' Ishzark to th' grave when he came back w' this thing," he explained, "I was able t' summon a differen' warrior in his place... Meet one 'f my strongest cards," the blond laughed almost darkly, the man in tattered cloth and golden armor stalking forward with a look of stern decision on his face. "GILFORD TH' LIGHTNIN'!"

"_HN_!" Though he did not hear what Gilford said when he spoke, he could at least hear any other sounds he made. Raising the blade high over his shoulders the warrior awaited his summoner's command, an order that Katsuya was more than willing to give. "Take this Keith!" he laughed, "Gilford attacks yer monster! "LIGHTNING CRASH SWORD!" The blade cut through the metal as though it were nothing but soft and melted butter, the pieces of the Motor Violence falling to the ground before collapsing and dissolving into the shadows at Keith's feet. It was disconcerting, what was happening before him... But there was likely nothing he could do about it save fight on. "Well now Keith," he laughed, a rather nasty grin staring the American down. "I sure hope yer prepared t' offer somethin' up by th' end of this, if you're gonna go down so fast!"

"You little shit..."

"Maybe another card?" Katsuya offered with a shrug. "Maybe not... ...Nahhh, I don' think I want anythin' outta your deck," the blond decided, watching his opponent's rage as it grew. "But what's that?" he laughed, pointing toward the black disk that Keith wore. "Like th' new accessories there... A 'Black Duel Disk'! That thing proves who's th' top in the USA, doesn' it?" the blond added carefully. "I'm thinkin' you don't really deserve somethin' that fancy, now do y' Keith..."

Keith merely continued to growl, eyes narrowing behind his shades. "Tch... Laugh while you can," he hissed, fists clenching in rage. "I'll get you in just a few seconds..."

"Oh will you?" the blond countered loudly. "Back in th' Duelist Kingdom, I didn't have any tactics y' know! Hell, two weeks b'fore tha', I'd been fighting 'monsters only'! I was an amateur then, that's true," he went on, "But you've been dead a hell 'f a lot longer than a couple weeks Keith! An' I've fought all kinds' 'f people since then... I beat you las' time," Katsuya snarled, "An' after how much better I've gotten since then you can be sure tha' I'm gonna beat 'y here too! You've got another part now," he went on, smirking. "But they're both prime targets for Gilford now... Count y'r turns," the blond warned, "Cause they'll be yer last..."

"Really now?" Keith sneered, rubbing his wrist in his unease. "You think you're gonna beat me with these half-baked tactics of yours? Think AGAIN!" he roared, drawing his next card. "What I have in my hand will finish you off in-"

-BRRREEE_EEP-BREEP-BREE-BREE-BREE-BREE-BREE-BREE-_

What th-

"What th' hell?"

"NGH!" As the American moved to play his face-down card a blaring alarm began to sound, the source more than easily pinpointed to the black disk itself. "What the fuck-!" Keith snarled, pulling the card out and grimacing as the alarm slowly died. "What the hell was that!" Yeah, he'd like to k-

Wait. A. Second.

The wrist-! "You... You were abou' t' cheat, weren't yah?" Katsuya muttered incredulously, his opponent tensing in response. "Yeah... Yeah, you were, weren't you y' jackass! Man! Must be gettin' pretty nervous t' be pulling somethin' like tha'!" he growled, Gilford and Katsuya both looking forward in accusation. "Too bad it isn' gonna work! GILFORD!" the blond called out, the monster giving a steady nod and charging forward with his blade. "ATTACK TH' FIRST MACHINE PART!"

"_HNNNN-HAH_!" The tiny pile of scraps stood no chance against the force of Gilford's blade, and the backlash of the wind almost cut into Keith's being. Motor Parts had no power, and no defense... Taking all the damage from that turn left Keith with 1000 points even, while he himself was close to unscathed. Heh...

"Hehehahaha! Whoo! An' here I w's feelin' worried!" the blond crowed, taking two other cards from his hand before slipping them onto the disk. "Well! I'm gonna set two more cards face down b'fore I call it I think! Heheheheeee... Might as well surrender now," Katsuya laughed, crossing his arms to watch for the next turn. "Seein' how y've got no chances left..."

Seeing how he had to go and try cheating already... Hah! It was almost impossible to feel negative now, he thought to himself behind a grin. Impossible! Time Wizard and Probability Chance both sat encased in stone behind him, waiting to strike- if it was a bad spin then he would spin again if not, then he won! The next thing to come to the field would be nothing but scrap metal...

Nothing...

...But why wasn't Keith moving?

"Oiiii... KEITH!" he called out, giving the American a wave. "What's takin' yah! You seem quiet f'r some reason!" Little too quiet, a voice in the back of his mind decided, and now that he was bothering to listen to it he'd have to agree. Keith was... Way too quiet.

Way, way, way- "Hehehe..." Ohhhh fuck his life. "HeheHAHAHA..." Just... Just end it now damn it.. "HAHA_HAHAHHA_!" Agghhhhh, what the hell was with him and fighting crazy people! "You... You think I'm going to surrender to YOU?" Keith laughed, wide and incredulous grin spreading over his face. "You think I... Hahah... HAHAH_AHAHA_! You... Your win at the Duelist Kingdom was a FLUKE!" he roared, shaking in rage as the shadows around him began to build. "But it looks like it blew you full of hot air regardless! You think that you have the right to tell ME to give up?" he spat viciously. "That you have any say in where this duel is going? HAH! You can shut your trap before I do it for you!" the American snarled. "Because you're about to find your place, 'Joey'... It's my turn!" he hissed, "I sacrifice the remaining Machine Part to summon a new monster! Motor Kaiser!" Keith announced. "I'll set another card face down and then end my turn with that!" Eh!

Seriously? Despite the slight dread that had started growing with the shadows Katsuya found himself chuckling, looking over the field with almost incredulous eyes. The monster was only slightly more powerful than the last 'Motor' that had come to the field- all in all it was nothing special. Hah...

Hahahahaha... Really...

That... "Tha'... You got all d'rmatic over tha' little thing?" he laughed, holding his head as he looked away from the blocky robot that had come to the field. "Gilford'll eat that guy for breakfast!" the blond shouted, "You didn' succeed 'n anythin'! HAH! Alrigh' Gilford!" he decided, pointing the swordsman toward the monster that was, even with his 'tune-up' from the Engine Tuner, still less powerful than he. "GO! An' while I do that," he continued with a grin, "I'll act'vate-"

"MY trap!" Keith snarled over his words, "Card Hexachief!" Hexachief? Wasn't that a fix-

Oh crap. Chains launched from the ground at his feet, the blond hurriedly ducking behind his arms as tile and concrete flew up from the air. Wrapping around the tablets behind him the chains gave a light shudder, glowing just briefly with power before settling into place. "Shit," he muttered, before turning back. Alright then... Deal with this the hard way! "Alrigh' y' prick," he growled, not even bothering to let Keith explain a card that was already gleefully explaining itself in the back of his mind. "You might've chained th' cards down, but tha' won' stop the attack! Now Gilford!" he ordered, the monster charging with a loud cry. "LIGHTNING CRASH SWORD!"

Again the scent of burning metal met the air and again the sight of it melting into shadows met his eyes. Despite his apparent victory he couldn't help but feel a pressuring sense of dread rising again, the shadows at Keith's feet almost flaming with expectation. Anyone else would say this was a pointless move- why bother chaining his cards down? But as the fear rose so did thought, along with questions of paranoia...

Why did Keith chain his cards to the field only to let an attack in? "Khehehehehe..." Why was he laughing, when he was so clearly about to lose? Why? "I win, 'Joey'."

What?

"Heh-?"

Still the American laughed, and as he looked forward the blond could just barely make out blood-shot and crazed eyes behind the sunglasses facing him. "I said, I win," he chuckled darkly, acting as though anything out of his mouth made sense. "You just signed your death warrant kid!" What-!

"What th' hell are you talking about?" he asked incredulously, nonetheless unable to shake the growing dread he felt as Gilford as well frowned. "Yer field is empty..! Can't you see properly w' those shades?"

"Can't you see at all, you dumb shit?" EH! Keith's grin had yet to fade, and as the tablet at his side began to carve and crumble from its blank slate he could see why. He'd said it once... And he'd say it again.

Oh how he _hated_ traps.

"'Scrap Garage'!" Keith announced nastily, his laughter echoing about the room in time with the shadow's flares. "When a Motor monster is sent to the grave... I can bring them all back as tokens!" Ahuh... But...

But... "But these things don' even have any power," he protested with a swallow, watching as one by one they rose from the darkness at Keith's feet. "They're even in attack mode, what w's th' point in tha'!" The point...

He knew the point somehow. But it couldn't be that... He didn't want it to be that, it couldn't, just couldn't be-!

"Hehehe... Understand what this means?" his opponent hissed, crazed grin cracking still more. "Do you know what I'm about to do?" he continued, the time ticking away into Keith's turn as Katsuya swallowed. "Watch," the man sneered, the room itself seeming to darken as he brought a single card to the field. As shadows whipped up from the very ground, thrashing uncontrollably through the air. "I'm going to show you something good... I'm going to show you a REAL God... A Ja-shin!" No... "I sacrifice these three monsters..." No! "AND SUMMON THIS! RISE!" Keith howled, a roaring an thundering rush of noise piercing his opponents very mind and soul as the shadows took form. He couldn't do this, he couldn't he couldn't, he couldn't-

"N-namonaki...!" Nameless...

_But not any more_! "DEVIL'S ERASER!" Keith thundered, the ear-splitting wail that surrounded it forcing Katsuya to cover his ears in pain. The great serpent like demon stood before him with an almost draconic helm covering a human's face, mounted on a long and shadowed neck. Its arms were naught but 'panels', topped with claws and joined to the body by a set of armor that almost resembled a human's rib-cage. Long, flat wings spread behind it, matching razor-thin and razor sharp horns from the helm.

This was a Ja-Shin his mind told him, hands slowly coming down from his ears as he stared. This was what his 'dreams' had once warned against. And this...

'_K... su... a... ..!_'

"DIGESTIVE BREATH!"

Was the reason why he couldn't hear right now.

With wide and uncomprehending eyes the blond watched as Keith laughed and shouted, spouting words that met no one's ears as the God itself spoke instead. As the demon opened its gaping, 'porcelain' mouth, revealing a tube... "_**You who bear the face of those who dared to SEAL such POWER. You who would DARE to stand in the way of our GLORIOUS REVIVAL!**_" it snarled, impassive expression accompanied by an endless darkness that continued to fill the room. "_**Become the nutrients that satisfy the hunger that is DARKNESS!**_" Hah...

Ha_ahhhhh_!

Acidic ooze gushed forward and dully, he watched Gilford jump in the attack's path. He watched as rather than dissolving into bone and flesh, dust and sand, or even fragments of a hologram the monster collapsed into the same oil as everything else... Joining with the shadows that formed the demon before him. Gilford was gone just like that, he realized dully. Gone...

Gone...

Keith was still talking, but it didn't matter. He already knew, if not barely, why his cards were pinned in place. The nameless who took the form of the serpent, who gained power from the number of those who faced it... In the same way the Eraser gained power for each card on his side of the field. He could barely hear Keith over the roar that was on the air, over the drowning rush of pain and darkness that was beating him, screaming for him to simply allow himself to sink into darkness and forget everything and-

He swallowed, looking up toward the beast's betrayingly calm face. He... Couldn't stop here, he told himself. He couldn't... With a shaking hand he drew his next card, and with his mind made up he forced a determined and pained grin onto his face.

"He... Hahahahaha... Looks like my luck's really paying off!" he laughed, holding out the card he'd pulled at that moment. "Sorry Keith... Looks like I've got what I need to finish off your God already! Spell card Hurricane!" he announced breathlessly, setting it on the field as stone rose and crumbled simultaneously behind him. "All spells and traps are returned to the hand!" the blond roared, "And-"

And as the chains rattled his grin began to fade, words cut short with a single barked order from his opponent. "Counter!" he snarled, almost pounding the duel disk to reveal the last face down he'd played. "DESPELL!" De...

De-spell... "No..." The hurricane that had begun to rise up in the sands instantly funneled toward the center, slowly pulling itself into the ground from whence it came. "NO!" The tablet that had spawned it faced a similar fate, spiraling down to the ground to leave the air completely clear. "AAA_AAHHHH_!" Shit! SHIT!

_SHIT_! Slowly the blond's eyes turned back up toward the Eraser, the 'nameless' god his opponent controlled. This wasn't good. Eraser's power still sat at two thousand points now, and he didn't have any monsters in his hand that could counter that just now. He didn't...

Keith's voice entered the air, and with horrified eyes he looked toward an attack that he could not block. "DIGESTIVE BREATH!" he snarled, the Eraser's laughter piercing the air. "HAHAHAH_AHAAAAA!_" Oh no...

Oh no no _no no no_-

_TABLET!_ With nothing to grab but the chains from the hexachief he barely pulled himself back and behind the tablet he'd left 'face down', the blond wincing as the very heat of the acidic juices burned against his shield. Keith's own vengeance and madness left him watching the actions without even batting an eye... The smoke that rose from the field was quite likely something only Katsuya himself could see, and as he looked back to the monster who had launched the attack he had to swallow. These shadows...

That were filling the air now...

These shadows surrounding Keith...

Katsuya's eyes moved from the monster to the man behind it, the man who now faced him with a demonic and sinister grin. Keith sought him out that much he knew. From hate, for vengeance... He had a grudge and he was here to exact it. But this feeling in the air, mixed with the fear he felt...

It wasn't just that he found himself telling himself, forcing himself to breathe lest he collapse as he had all the other times the 'Gods' were summoned. It wasn't just that, and if he wanted to move forward he needed to figure out what the hell that was! "My... TURN!" he rasped, drawing his next card and swallowing. "I set this face down," he decided, a single card remaining in his hand. "And I end my turn..!"

"Ehhh-!" Keith's eyes widened, and his monstrous expression grew even more. "That's it?! HAH! Thanks so much, JOEY! Now the Eraser has THREE THOUSAND attack points! I don't know how much stupider you could possibly get!" he laughed hysterically, "You've only buried yourself even more! You outta know that traps don't work on the Gods," he roared, "But I guess that goes to show how much an amateur you really are! ERASER!" Keith ordered, the 'God' preparing his attack once again as Katsuya prepared for the hit. "ATTACK! DIGESTIVE BREATH-"

"ACT'VATE TRAP! GRAVEROBBER!" The blank stone he'd pulled into existence crumbled immediately, the 'card of choice' already carving on its face as its token 'imp' grinned from behind it. "An' th' card I've taken is yer Motor Violence!"

"WHA-" A loud crackling explosion filled the air as the machine that appeared melted under Eraser's attack, nothing but scraps falling to the ground in its place. From behind his arm Katsuya grimaced, but despite the bits of singed cloth he had he managed to look forward with a weak and triumphant smirk. And hey...

Keith was pissed right? "You... You stole my card again you son-of-a-bitch!" he roared, the teen across from him merely grinning. "YOU FILTHY FUCKING-"

"Ohhh? Th's is interestin'," Katsuya muttered blankly, paying Keith no mind as he rotated his shoulder and looked over his life-points. "Thought I'd take a bigger hit... ...Ahhhhhh..." He grinned, looking forward as he spotted the tablet from near the start of the duel. "Engine Tuner, tha's right... Heh! Explains these things," he laughed, crossing his arms as he looked over the two 'tokens' he now had. "Man did I luck out! Looks like you even left me with the sacrifices I need f'r a monster!" he chuckled weakly, shaking his head and turning back to Keith.

Keith for his part was not surprisingly unamused. "So you can get a big fish on the field then," he snorted, evidently wanting this over and done with. "Big whoop! Like I give a rat's ass what you summon, you said it yourself! Gilford was one of your best- you telling me you have something better?" Better?

"What, another guy like him? Nahhh," he muttered almost absently. "Gilford's one of a kind... Hell I don' have a monster in my hand let alone someone like Gilford," he laughed. "But... Who knows," the blond continued darkly, wind seeming to rise and blow back the shadows of the Eraser as he set the next card. "Maybe you do! I cast th' spell Summon Capture!" Katsuya roared, his mind filling in the blanks of the rising tablet's power. "An' that means I c'n summon somethin' from your hand! Yer a pretty power hungry guy," he continued with a grin, eyes narrowing as the one across from him swallowed. "An' you've got jus' what I need in there... I'm summonin' th' card furthest left in your hand," the blond announced, tablet rising despite the card never appearing in his hand. "SO," he continued, walking forward with an expectant hand for the final piece of the summon. "Fork it over!"

"Che..." With no choice the American held his hand out, shaking in rage while Katsuya snatched his prize. "Damned rat... Get the fuck out of my sight!" he snarled as the blond hopped back, narrowly avoiding a kick.

"Hih! Well, someone knows they're screwed," the blond snorted, chuckling under his breath as he made it back. "But whatever... Wi' this card, along with YOUR power-up," he announced, the tablet already standing tall behind him with the carved image of a robotic monster, "Your 'namonaki' doesn' stand a chance..! NOW... Les' see what yer monsters are like w'out th' shadows!" he roared, metal breaking free from stone with an earth-shattering rumble. "I sacrifice th' two metal parts t' summon this... TH' DEMONIC MOTOR, OMEGA!"

And as black-green metal crashed into existence the shadows briefly pulled back, heralding the monster's summon with a bang. "_RRRRRRNNNNNNNN-NNNNN-HAAAAAAAHHHHH! At LAST..!_" W-

Wh-What! As Katsuya jumped back the machine at his side blew off clouds of steam from its shoulders, gear-jointed tail swishing almost in agitation while it cracked its 'neck'.

"_Finally_," the monster growled, 'stretching' and 'flexing' in place. "_Out of that shadowed hell hole!_" Um.

What. "...Th' hell?" he muttered under his breath, only for Keith's words to snap him back to the duel.

"You... CHEH! Whatever then!" the American muttered with a scowl. "I was already thinking of how boring it would be to win with this thing..."

"Yeaaah, 'f course y' were," he muttered dryly, only to flinch when Omega tapped his shoulder with a blade-tipped finger. "Eh..?"

"_Oi_." Um. Yes? He was listening. Never thought he'd be talking to a robot with a notably American accent but... He was listening. "_Brat. This guy's been stuck with me and my buddies for a while, got it- might not be the brightest bulb on the shelf,_" he added with a shrug, "_But he's family to me and my buddies, got it?_" UHHHHHH... "_You watch how you finish him, understand?_" the robot growled. "_We can either end up dealing with this again, or fixing it this time. Got it, brat?_" Um...

Um... He nodded somewhat weakly, head soon picking up speed with the action as he became more sure. "Ah... Right," he muttered to himself, swallowing. "Got it! It's gonna end righ' here!" he said even louder, narrowing his eyes as he attempted to comprehend a 'better' Keith in the meantime. "LET'S DO THIS! ATTACK! JONOUCHI CRUSHER!"

"_MECHANIC'S SCYTHE!_" Oh, that was what it was called? With a rush of steam and fires the monster shot forward, Eraser doing nothing but rearing back with perfect neutrality on its face. With a 'snicker-snack' sound the blade cut clean through Eraser's neck- it's head toppled to the ground with a dull thud, porcelain face cracked and its summoner's life depleted to 100.

Eraser was dead. "Hah..." Dead and gone... "Hah_aHA_! WHOOOO! YEAH," he screamed, laughing almost to the point of tears in relief. "YEAH! Did it!"

"Did you?" Katsuya looked back down from his skyward celebration, face growing white as Keith's words echoed around the room. A feeling of cold, of dread, and of endless despair was already beginning to fill him, and the room began to grow darker than it had even before. Blood was falling from the gaping wound on the Eraser's corpse, the corpse that had yet to vanish as it should. Thick, black, oil-like blood, rising from the ground to surround the entire arena, dripping from above and slowly filling the area around them...

"What th' hell," he croaked, unable to speak as the sound of creaking gears and clanking chains met his ears. "What th' hell is this..! What-!"

"_Ngh... Eraser's ability!_" Ability?!

"Khnhn_hnhnhn_..." The blood continued to rise, and as it did he could feel himself sinking... Omega himself was already drowning in the dark, never to be seen, while his 'face down tablets' were doing the same... It was all he could do to stay awake, all he could-

_'KRREEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_'

"Ngh..!" Screaming... Screaming was filling the air, from no where, from everywhere...

"Did I forget to tell you?" he could barely hear, the blond covering his ears and breathing laboriously in an attempt to hold off the sheer pressure of darkness around him, "Did I forget to mention that Eraser destroys everything on the field when he dies?" Ngh... Gh.-!

"One card face down," he rasped, slipping the card onto his duel disk lest he drop it. He could feel a tablet rise behind him, safe from the power of the Eraser, but even then the blood was falling, Keith was laughing, the sludge was leaping from the ground, encompassing them both-

Darkness... He couldn't see, get him out,_ get him out-!_

Nothing but darkness...

"Fhihihihi..." Keith was laughing somehow, he could still hear him... "This is just as good... As winning-!" Damn it, was Keith even willing to die here!

Darkness...

His sight was gone. His hearing, that was gone too... He was losing his scent, his touch...

And as he held his arms close he shook with fear, scarcely able to breathe.

'_It's the feeling of being dead!_' someone was laughing, cackling in the darkness around him. '_Now it's your turn to go to hell 'Joey'... Now it's your turn... __**To die.**_'

"HnhnHAH_AHAHAHA_!" Darkness. Darkness...

Help...

The darkness is here...

_And the circle is complete. _

_The elders stand around it, the design traced into the ground with goat fats and ashes. And as the candles burn, he can hear himself speak. _

_"Please," he cries, struggling to escape the arms that hold him in the center, others moving to fasten ropes around his arms and wrists. "Please... This number will bring nothing good," he warns, watching as the 'perfect' number before him seems to fade into ashes. "My shadow isn't ready," he continues in desperation, "Please!" _

_The twelve elders stand around him after tying his arms down to stone. He pulls and tugs, unable to reach the cords with his teeth and unable to slip his hands through the knots as he usually could, and in the end he is left sitting in a stiff and forcefully built position in tears. _

_"Please," he weeps, the candle light flickering on the side with haunting effects. "Please don't do this, please..." _

_"We gather here today in the presence of our ancestors..." The chanting has started, and the ashes on the ground seem to rise and smoke with unseen power. The boy tries again. _

_"Please, please, please... Please don't... My heart... My soul... I can see it!" he screams, Neker standing in the corner in fear as he listens to his friends words. "Please, you'll kill us all!" he wails pitifully, "Everyone will die if you do this, I BEG you! GHH-" _

_An echoed slap choruses around the chamber, with nothing but the candles around the circle to illuminate the source. The elder who brought him here, the elder who did nothing but tell playful stories with shadows at his hands holds the very staff he used to twist the darkness for the scene. Blood now drips from the end, just as it does the side of the boy's face. _

_And the boy, with his eyes watering and overflowing completely, can do nothing but choke on his misery. "Silence, boy!" the elder snarls, gripping his staff and pulling it back in a single swift movement. "This is for your own good! Today we put an end to your ridiculous stories," he continues, turning to leave the intricate circle without making a single mark upon it, "And to these 'gut feelings' of yours-" _

_"They aren't like that!" he screeches, pulling at the ropes with renewed strength. "The shadows told me... The heart is the soul is the shadow who knows, please! Please I beg you, please, I don't want you to die! I don't want! I- I..." _

_"Do not speak as though these demons you've found know the workings of the world," the elder snarls in response, leaving the boy to choke on his tears. "Be silent and allow the ritual to complete itself!"_

_But the ritual is not meant to be. It is not meant... _

_"I can't..." His voice quiets and the chanting surrounds him, his strength wasted on futile struggles against his bonds and his voice hoarse from his begging and pleading. His struggling dies and his vision seems to slow, and the boy looks about the room with terror filling his entire being as he feels himself slipping away. "I can't... I... ...Neker," he whispers, the boy he speaks to stepping back and looking to his grandmother for advice. _

_But his grandmother is one of the elders, and she merely says- 'It is for his own good.' _

_"I can't..." He can't see... _

_'I reach into the pits of darkness to pull forth light...' _

_"I can't..." He can't feel... _

_'I wield it as my own, as my weapon as my shield...' _

_"...please..." _

_'I TAKE FATE INTO MY OWN HANDS AND OUT OF THOSE OF THE GODS!' _

_And the hands rise from the circle, before the true ceremony begins. _

_"-!" _

_As he screams in the room of the tower in the east, he screams in the chambers of the deepest pits of the desert. He holds his head in one world, fingers digging against the skin of his skull, and in the other he throws his head back, pulling at his binds and seeing nothing but white with his wide, dying eyes. "KKKRRHAAA**AAAAAAAHHHHHH**!" _

_He hears nothing but the hums and screams of the shadows that pull, of the taunting hands that force their way into the depths of his soul. _

_"**rrrRRRAAAAAAAAAHHH!**" He feels nothing but the pain of their touch, of their hold, of their force, and sees absolutely nothing at all._

_The boy screams until his throat is dry, until his lips are stretched and bleeding. As energies of all kinds rise from the circle to join the hands, illuminating it to a level that stands brighter than even the candles in the room the elders speak falsely comforting words. _

_'It is for your own good,' they repeat betrayingly. 'It will all be over soon.'_

_"**NNNGGGAAAAAHHHHHH**!"_

_'We will tear your soul free from the shadows-' they tell him soothingly, as though their voices will calm the screams. 'No more will you be tormented by these gut feelings of yours!'_

_"**HHHRAAAAAAAHHHHH!**" Tears are running down his face, and with pleading eyes he looks over the crowd, somehow able to see through the veil that has coated his eyes. He cannot hear Neker's screams as the boy asks what is wrong. _

_He cannot hear what he says as he turns to the elders, pulling on his grandmother's arm in desperation before being thrown to the ground by the annoyed old ones. _

_He cannot hear his own name as it is called over the air. He cannot hear... _

_He cannot hear... _

_The shadows roar. _

_Liquid darkness rises from the circle at his feet and an intense pain surpassing all that has come thus far, begins to rise within him as the hands pull out their prize. The glow of the circle is unbearable. The elders chants are coming short, and they step back with wide and fear filled eyes as the boy in the center continues to scream and thrash at his bonds despite all their magic and traditions. _

_And finally the ropes snap. Finally the shadows that coalesced begin to gather within the grip of the darkened hands from the ashes. They take form, and as he reaches out with a hand so does the small black creature that has risen from the depths of his soul. _

_So does the creature with eyes as red as the evening sun, and scales as black as the shadows of the desert. But as he reaches out, an ebony claw doing the same... _

_"Bri... Kri... **KRIIIIIIIII!**" _

_It falls to ashes at his very finger tips, and the pain returns. _

_A searing flame across his chest, his hands flying toward it in pain as it threatens to break his very being, as it tears at his soul and mind and spirit all at once, as it shatters what little he has left-!_

_"NGH..." The elders are running toward him, and the boy rolls back onto his side. "NNGH..." The pain never ends, never stops... It feels as though his body is empty, as though he's dead, as though he'll never move again, and this pain-! "NNGHAAAAAAAAAGHH! GH**HAAAAAAAAAAA!**" This pain... "GHHHHAAAA**AAAAGGHHHHHHH!**" This PAIN! _

_**snap out of it**. Someone... _

_'**Snap out of it.**' Stop... _

"Wake up..."

STOP!

"_DAMN IT KATSUYA!_"

A punch knocks him back in the darkness, and despite the inability to see he brings his hand to his face in pain. "Ngh-!"

"_It's about damn time!_" a familiar voice growled, the blond looking forward with a grimace.

"Gh... Panther-?" Katsuya blinked and the cat continued to growl, the duelist's eyes slowly widening as he looks around. Everyone... Every...

All of his monsters, standing with him in the darkness...

"N-N_GH_-" The darkness began to push again but just as quick to react, a scaled hand smacked him in the face.

"_Ohhh no you don't Katsuya-jun!_"

"OW- What-?" What the hell!

Alligator did that?! "_YEAH! Wake up!_" chimed the Little Winguard, her summoner grimacing and letting out a yelp as he grabs at the shin she just kicked.

"_We're not letting something like DARKNESS take the first one to speak with us in a few thousand years,_" the Flame Swordsman growled in agreement, pounding Katsuya on the back as the others crowd for their own two cents.

The next to come came from a nodding Ishzark, but it seemed all their voices now chorused on the air.

"_THE NAMELESS MUST NOT RETURN!_" they roared, bodies almost flickering in the darkness. "_Right!_" "_RIGHT_!" "_RIGH-_"

"OKAY , I'M UP, I'M UP!" Katsuya cried out, arms held above him in defense. "I'm up," he repeats, opening his eyes to look at the blood soaked room around him, the shadows of the monsters now long gone. "I'm... ...H-Hah... H_AHHHHH-_!" His eyes widen as the blades of the Motor Omega meet his gaze, each one raised and prepared to strike. 'Nikoichi' was used, his mind tells him as he panics, allowing Keith to summon it from the graveyard and-

"Time to die, Joey...~" Shit-!

"Act'vate trap!" he hurriedly cried, jumping to the side as the blades splashed and cut into the bloodied darkness, "Skull dice!" From above the blood soaked ground the tablet for the card spat out a rolling die, the imp within too terrified to even move. Splattering blood all about it as it fell however, the number was clear. "Hah... Four..! NGH-" Too late to dodge Katsuya found himself raising his arms above him for defense, a flailing, blood-soaked Omega forced to return to its side of the field as it scratched the blond's arm. "Hahgh..." He shook himself, oily sludge slipping off his hair and out of his eyes. "Hahh..."

His arm bled but it bled slowly, and as he blinked he found his vision clearing up just enough to see around the black arena. This place...

The 'nameless god's influence was powerful indeed he found himself thinking uneasily, flexing his hand out of habit. And even now while he was awake, he felt as though he was sinking into darkness. But this feeling...

He looked across the field to his opponent, steeling his gaze as the Motor Omega hovered at its master's side. Keith was an asshole, but something told him that there was more to it. A reason for the Omega to say so- And now...

Now that he stood there, looking toward the broken and bloodsoaked man...

"Why?" Keith rasped, shaking his head in a growing sensation of horror that had turned against him so quickly. "Why... Why won't you just DIE!" he wailed, cries met with nothing but a stony glare. "I'm dead... You're alive, it... I can't!" The man grabbed at his head, clenching his teeth as naught but whimpered moans came from his lungs. "Ng... Unnn Uaaaaa... Am I... Again-?" What? "Am I going to vanish... Again?" he asked himself aloud, shaking his head and growing even stiffer as his breathing began to race. "To the pit... Of darkness... To the pit," he repeated with a dangerous tone, "Of DARKNESS... Here... Right here Jonouchi," Keith whispered, expression glazed and possessed as Katsuya watched grimly from afar. "I'm gonna drag you... To the depths of hell," he wheezed, stumbling and taking a step forward despite the thick, knee-high sludge. "I'm gonna... Kill you... I'm..."

"...My turn," Katsuya managed to say, drawing a card and looking across to Keith in silence. "...Keith... You c'n stop yer mutterin' now," he said quietly. "This time, I ain' pushin' you back there. I summon th' Iron Knight Gearfried!" the blond announced, a tablet pushing free of the bloodied ground as steel limbs and armor managed to force their way forward, "In attack mode!" Despite all the blood the monster's metal gleamed brilliantly from the glow of his own power, and with a knowing nod the monster began its charge forward. This was it... "This is th' hit that'll wake you up Keith!" Katsuya announced, Gearfried's blade rising above his head to come forward with the same motions of a downward punch. "NOW!"

"YOUUUUUUUUU!"

"_HHHHHRAAAAAAHHHH!_"

"Gh-_k_-"

As though blown away by a fan, the blood dissipated. Gearfried's blade cut through the monster that had risen from the sludge, pushing directly through Keith's chest, and as the American fell back in almost comatose defeat the light came back to the room. Tablets crumbled and sank to the ground...

Any remains of the Eraser were long gone, Katsuya and Gearfried as well walking over to where their opponent had fallen. One look was all it took- there was nothing for the monsters to say now. But with his hands stowed in his pockets he found himself looking over Keith with pity despite what he knew of the man.

"..."

Damn. To think, after all this...

"...Keith," he said almost quietly, the man at his feet struggling to recover from the shadows of the Eraser's blood. "...It's over. ...I know you can't feel th' pain from a monster's hit th' way I can," he continued, looking away somewhat with a swallow, "But a Duelist oughta know what their monsters are feelin'!" the blond shouted. "It's proof that you're alive," he went on, "That you're a duelist, tha' you're-"

_-click_

Katsuya stared as Keith fumbled with the black disk on his arm, ripping it off and pelting it toward the shocked teen before him. "Not... Done," he growled, insane grin appearing on his face. The Eraser was gripped tightly in his finger-tips, and as it shook he continued to speak. "We aren't done yet... Jonouchi... Duel me," he demanded lowly. "You can wear the black disk... Go on... Wear it... Wear-!"

The teen looked down at Keith numbly before saying one thing. "I can't."

"Gnnhhhghh... Damn it!" he roared weakly, fist clenching and reddening whilst he shook. "DAMN IT! Ngh..!" The fist fell to the ground in exhaustion, and with a tight jaw the American's head fell forward. "You... You..."

"...I can't duel you like this," Katsuya said quietly, eyes looking over the man with an almost dead glaze over the cold pity he felt. "Righ' now... Looks like you've let yerself turn into a demon 'f r'venge... ...An' I think tha' if you didn' have tha' card yer holdin' now, things'd be differen'. I know tha' I'm not th' only one t' believe tha'," he continued. "If anythin', the ones tha' really care are th' only ones who'd know. ...I know... Tha' there w's a time where you dueled for fun," Katsuya whispered lowly, pulling a card out from his graveyard as he went on. "Hard t' imagine what tha' was like," he laughed shortly, "But tha's b'side th' point. This card 's yours," he said with a whisper, tossing the 'Time Machine' to Keith's feet. "I'm givin' it back. Use it t' go back t' tha' time, alrigh'?" he added, turning to leave. "An' when you come back as a duelist instead 'f some demon 'f r'venge... We'll have tha' fight." Keith didn't respond, but even with his back turned to the man he had a feeling that it would be the last time they met- if at least 'like this'. The Eraser fell to the floor- and a hand moved to pick up the Time Machine card in silence.

It was a relief, in a bizarre way. Enough that he was even feeling dizzy, hands gripping the black disk as he took the other one off. Enough that-

"Ngh...!" Both disks clattered to the ground and dully he realized someone would have heard that but a majority of him didn't care. His hands flew to his head as his body locked, collapsing to the ground in a fit of blurred senses. His vision went black, his hearing dim, his feeling dulled...

To any one passing it would seem he'd collapsed in exhaustion. But as his arms move to cover the wounds sustained under the Eraser's acidic breath there could be a few in the world, even the building, that could see...

"Gh... Ngh..." The darkness is still upon them. It's eating away, pulling him in... "Sff... Gh..!" Pulling...

Pulling...

Pull-

_He's still in the circle and his body lies limp and prone upon the ground, staring out at nothing. But despite this chaos that has occurred, the elders continue to approach._

_'Continue the ritual,' they call confidently. 'With the demon exorcised there is limited time to form the shadow!' As he realizes what they thought had been a demon, Neker's eyes are wide with horror... But it is not to the elders that he looks, and the gaze fills ever more with fear. The elder who gave the order now turns back from where he faced the others, instead looking behind the boy in terror as darkness pushes back from the ashes and the hands on the ground. _

_The boy does not know what is going on. He does not feel anything, merely disconnection and pain, a blinding pain... _

_And then as the shadows rise up behind him his eyes widen, a single voice cutting through the dim chaos like a blade through water. _

_"**GET AWAY FROM MY SON!**" _

_The roar rumbles through the air and shakes the very foundations of the cavern, and as the elder takes a single step forward with his staff and shadow the true chaos begins. Snarls of rage meet the air, and screams do the same as the fight blazes through the room amid candle light. The dragon has never been seen in such a furious state, and the boys did well to avoid it. They tread with caution when it looked as though their friend could possibly reach that sort of emotional plane, but now the Elders have overstepped their bounds. _

_And they will now pay dearly. _

_For the dragon feels close to the boys- he sees them as his own, and will protect and scold when necessary. The time to scold Neker has passed- Neker already realizes with great horror, what he has done. He already realizes and laments, what his actions have wrought. And so the time to protect arises in its place. _

_Flames fill the chamber and reduce the first two cloaked ones to ashes, with Neker huddling and ducking beneath the blast. The next two are swallowed whole, with another pair snapped in half. Blood and death is filling the room, and the steady crunch of bone can be heard. Neker runs to the boy while the dragon fights... He runs and stumbles as the elders attempt to flee and escape the dragon's wrath. He begs forgiveness, but the boy cannot hear. _

_He feels numb, watching everything with disconnected eyes. Without a soul, without feeling... _

_He's melting into nothing, fading away, fading away and then... _

_"I'm sorry," Neker cries, pulling and shaking him in an attempt to wake his friend. "I'm sorry," he screams, holding his friend close as the boy's dead eyes stare up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, -!" He cannot hear his friend, nor feel his touch. _

_He is already past the veil of death. _

_"I'm sorry..."_


	10. Cabab

He remembers hearing the voice of Neker.

"Save him," he begs the dragon, the enormous shadow having coated the room in blood and flesh alike. "I beg you, please save him!" He stands on his knees, before falling face first to the ground in tears. "If there is anything at all, even if it costs my life!"

The dragon growls at this, turning toward Neker with narrowed eyes. "_You claim to help him_," he retorts, "_And yet it is your doing that has brought this upon him!_"

"I didn't know," he whimpers, his voice scarcely more than a strained whisper. "I didn't know, I swear I didn't know... I'll do anything, anything I swear..."

Neker repeats these words. Again, and again, and still again he weeps, with the shell of his friend breathing behind him. And as he cries his pleas eventually become nothing more than quiet rasping words, with no sound but breathing behind them. And the dragon nods, bringing a clawed hand down to lift Neker up.

"_...There has been enough pain this evening,_" he growls lowly, wiping the tears from Neker's eyes. "_I will save him... How could I not?_" the dragon adds mournfully, "But you will swear to me this. When the time comes," he says sternly, "_You will save him as I am doing now. You will take his place in death, and you will make sure with all your power that he lives to see his elder years. Do you swear this?_" he asks, watching Neker nod furiously. "_Do you SWEAR?_"

"I do," he says quickly, wiping his face. "I swear it, upon my very soul I swear! But Dragon," he weeps, looking to his friend. "What have I done? What have I done to him!"

"_It is not what you have done directly that you must fear,_" he hisses, crawling toward the boy on the ground and reaching toward him. As black claws pick up the body there is nothing but a slight shiver, with dust blowing away from around them. Otherwise the boy is still, a fact that brings tears to the great dragon's eyes. "_The soul_," he whispers, "_Is never to be separated in this manner... What your elders do is unforgivable,_" he goes on, "_But never did I know to the extent of their crimes. They have separated shadow from light_," the dragon mourns. "_They have taken his very soul and shattered it with the intent of reforming it for their own designs... And it is not upon you that this blame falls,_" he continues, holding the boy close as Neker continues to weep with the growing realization. The dragon takes in a deep and shuddering breath, his own tears continuing to fall. "_But mine. I should have realized that blindness was not without its dangers. That the inability to hear would bring confusion and pain... So I will give myself the greatest punishment,_" he whispers, placing the boy as Neker's feet. "_And I ask that you make sure he understands..._"

"Understands what?" Neker weeps, supporting the boy's head and looking from it to the dragon's own. "What are you going to do?"

"_I will do as my kind have done since the dawn of time,_" the dragon answers, a dull shine slowly coming over the beast. "_At the cost of my will I shall become his own. At the cost of my spirit, my soul shall replace his. It is now his own... My shadow is his. I bind myself to his spirit for as long as it exists._"

"The cost of your will... But dragon!" Neker protests, his grip on the boy tightening as he watches the monster slowly sink into his friend's shadow. "There must be another way... There has to be!"

"_There is not,_" he tells him. "_A shadow must replace the shadow removed... There is no time. Remember my words,_" the Dragon finishes through his tears. "_Heed them as though they were your own..._"

_ **This is the last you will hear of my voice... So remember them child- I will always be by your side...** _

* * *

For once he thought to himself, waking up wasn't so painful today.

With the sudden rush of visions and 'memories' throughout the evening the bruises from falling in place were beginning to really hurt- he wouldn't be surprised if he got back home and found himself blue and black under the uniform.

"Ngh.." Katsuya grimaced, pulling himself up with a groan. Weird he noted dully, looking around the hall. The hall was different from the last one he'd been in. It was closer to the room Anzu was in, that much he knew subconsciously- but it was definitely not the one he had blacked out in. So where...

The blond froze as he brought an arm up to scratch his head, thick metal and plastic smacking lightly against it. A duel disk he noted immediately, bringing his arm out to stare in bewilderment. The black duel disk. But he'd never put that one on Katsuya realized abruptly. In fact he hadn't been wearing a duel disk at all, so-

He blinked, frowning as he pulled out a card that was wedged within the disk's mechanism. It took a moment admittedly to realize what it was. When he did however, he almost dropped it.

_'The Honor of the King's Right'_.

"No way," he muttered to himself, looking around once again. Twice he flipped it over, blinking and looking over the card in its entirety as if it would change in his very fingers. "No way..." This...

This was the card Keith had stolen from him. The one he'd somehow managed to snatch from his room the night before the Duelist Kingdom semi-finals, the one that Mai had graciously replaced. This was a card he'd long since forgotten... Evidently, Keith hadn't.

Pocketing the card after a few more moments the blond looked back, a dull look in his eyes. Just what did that mean, he wondered. That he'd listened to what he'd said? That he was already going to leave and re-think himself? (That he was actually going to do that?) After a few more moments of staring he turned back, focusing on the task at hand.

Honda would be wondering where he was now after all- he needed to get to the server's upper room, where Anzu was. The room couldn't be that hard to find though he figured, walking along the halls with a neutral expression. After all, the door would probably be op-

"Gh..." Katsuya tensed as he spotted the door on the far side of the hall, blood draining from his face. Shadows filled the air- lapping at the sides of the frame like some frenzied storm. It wasn't affecting him like before, thank god- he didn't feel sore, or even dizzy outside the bruises. Just...

Unnerved as hell.

He took a step forward, slowly forcing himself to move. Honda was in there, that much he knew after all. And so was Anzu he reminded himself. So was she... Trapped as she was in a cocoon of melting shadows, screaming before his very eyes as he came to enter the room.

"...Anzu..."

"Jonouchi!" The blond turned, blinking as Honda moved over from the side. He had a pretty good idea of what his friend could and couldn't see at the moment, he had to say. Both of them would normally be having shivers by this point, and he had a feeling that the only reason why he wasn't was because of how much what he saw now paled when compared to the corpse of the Eraser.

Hihhhh... Creepy.

Katsuya forced a smile onto his face nonetheless though, giving a wave with his duel arm. "Oii, Honda!"

The smile grew somewhat as his friend came over, looking somewhat breathless. "So... You won then?" he asked, eyes slowly drawn to the black disk in curiosity as his friend nodded.

"'Course I did," Katsuya snorted, the other momentarily ignoring him to go over the disk.

"Wasn't this Keith's?" he muttered, looking back to the blond with a frown. Well. Yes.

Yes it was. His grin grew, the blond going somewhat red with pride. "As a matter 'f fact, it was," he responded with a grin. "An' this black duel disk proves that I'm th' best duelist in th' Professor League!" ...Even though he wasn't a part of the league proper. Honda merely stared, shaking his head in slow incredulity.

"Man," he murmured, "They're handing those things out to everyone now..." What, what!

"O-Oiii, I worked hard," Katsuya grumbled, crossing his arms in a huff. "An' anyway, tha' ain' th' point! What's Anzu still doin' inside tha' machine? Don' tell me she w's really 'too heavy'," he added, turning to Honda with a frown.

"Oh as IF-"

"Y' know, those Ja-shin really got their roots in her, huh..."

Honda blinked, following the blond's gaze to what he saw as nothing more than a machine. "What... The connections?" he asked, a frown coming over his face. "How did you-" He shook himself, realizing what he'd been about to say. "Right. Nevermind. ...It's bullshit though," the teen growled, collapsing in a chair at the side. "We're right here, but thanks to Tenma's damn program we can't even touch her."

"...Yeah," he managed to say, fists clenching. Tenma... "Thanks t' those namonaki..."

His friend jumped. "N- Nameless?" he repeated. "What?"

The blond didn't respond, but as they watched the machine before them continue to spark and crack and burn he didn't need to. Regardless of the hows and whys, regardless of any names those monsters had, there was only one thing they needed to know. Anzu's spirit was, as Mokuba had found out and told Honda moment's before, displaced. Her body was directly linked to the server in a manner not unlike the Virtual World, and to disconnect her now would leave her mindless. There was only one thing to do, one way to shut the program down.

Someone had to send the final Jashin into the grave.

And as they stood and stared, that someone finally reached his destination.

* * *

The wind howled on the top of the field and landing pad, and the clouds above swirled brilliantly. In the wake of the Ja-Shin's slight failure they had begun to part somewhat in an attempt to return to the clear skies that had been there. Faded, smoke-like in the sky, but black to the core. If one looked in the distance they could see the first rays of light from a still distant sun...

But the other Yugi didn't care for that right now. As the door to the roof-top opened he and Gekkou strode out and did only one thing. "TENMA!" Yugi snarled, the CEO currently sitting impatiently upon the arena's edge. Walking still forward they watched as Yakou turned to the shout and sneered, corners of his mouth pulling up in a smirk of sorts. He'd known they would come and he'd been waiting. And the last one to face him was, even now, at the side in pain. "...Kaiba," Yugi began, walking toward the woman as she looked up from her own somewhat collapsed position against the rail. "...Are you alright?"

The woman snorted at that, despite obvious discomfort. "Ch... I must really be losing my touch," she rasped, not bothering with disguises thanks to the nearly whispered tone. "If you're that worried about me..."

Yugi stared for a moment as Kaiba said this, tilting his head when he noticed something- he'd realized there was something 'off' about her but... "...Kaiba," he realized, eyes widening, "Is your binding-"

If Gekkou heard that, he didn't show it. Nor did he voice the fact that, to support what Willa had discovered in the darkness before hand, the binding around Kaiba's chest had loosened just enough to reveal what certainly set her physically apart as 'not male'. "It's nothing," she bit out, standing straight and crossing her arms despite a slight wince. "The holograms of the Ja-shin are a little more 'solid' than one would expect. It's nothing but the poison of the so-called 'evil gods'... That's all. Now..." As she looked over the arena her gaze snapped back to Yugi, eyes narrowing. "The fact that you're here means none of the others could stop you... Though that's hardly a surprise," she chuckled almost bitterly, the boy beside her not at all missing the slight step backward she'd taken in attitude. "After all... I'm the only one who can defeat you!"

Eh? "Kaiba..." That... He said nothing more, eyes dulling somewhat as he took in the stiffness of his rival. It was probably best not to speak right now. If she wasn't bothering with disguise, that meant she assumed everyone on the roof knew.

Which meant that the one beside her, who was still eying her with obvious unease and confusion... Beside them, Gekkou moved toward his brother, swallowing and watching as the twin gave almost little to no acknowledgment for his efforts. "...Yakou," the one in black began, the other slowly looking up with eyes of loathing.

"...Gekkou," the man hissed, white jacket hanging almost awkwardly on his slumped frame. "...What do you think you're doing here?"

The calmer of the pair didn't so much as flinch in the face of his brother's obvious hatred, instead continuing on as he'd intended. "The R.A. Project is finished," he warned him clearly. "And right now, you have no where to go. For your sake Yakou... We should end this now."

"End this?" The man stood, hair hanging messily over his eyes. "Who do you think you're talking to? Finished?" he roared, "Of COURSE it's FINISHED! Because of those two," Yakou snarled "Because! ...Hehehehe... Because they did what you couldn't!" he suddenly laughed, looking down at his brother in superiority. "You hear me Gekkou? THEY stopped me! Not you! All you did was what I ordered," he chuckled insanely. "Possessed by the great Ja-shin, unable to even blink without my say so..."

"That's right." Yakou's laughter halted immediately, and with obvious incredulity he stared. "You're right Yakou," his brother again admitted. "I lost- and I'm powerless. But they are still here," he added with narrowed eyes. "Yugi is still here... And he can still fight you."

"Then you've... You've given up!" the CEO laughed. "Hah_ahaHAAA_! Well! How the mighty 'perfect duelist' has fallen indeed," he sneered, only to have his smile again fade as he caught the expression on his brother's face.

"Perfect..." Gekkou repeated quietly. "Yes... That's what Pegasus-sama called me, wasn't it. And at the time," he continued, "It made me so proud... But then I noticed something," the man said clearly. "I realized over the course of many duels that Pegasus-sama had never meant that I was to be the 'Perfect Duelist'... When we were with Pegasus-sama," he went on coldly, "I won against you and many others, but it was always by a small margin. And each time we dueled, that margin diminished in size. And I couldn't help but notice," he said calmly, "That my opponents were getting stronger. I am 'perfected'," Gekkou announced clearly. "I will never grow. I believe that he must have seen, with his Millennium Eye, just what that meant... That my power as a duelist," he continued, "Was as high as it would ever be."

"You..." His brother shook, shaking with a growing shock and rage. "What are you talking about!"

"I'm saying that the one who Pegasus-sama really saw the potential in was never me to begin with," he shouted back, his stern glare never shifting. "I'm saying that the one whom he saw promise in, the one he thought would become a 'perfect' duelist... Was you, Yakou!"

Yakou shook his head, trembling in the spot. "Don't say that," he hissed, fists clenching and digging into his palms. "Don't you DARE SAY THAT! You... Do you have any idea?" he roared, "Any idea at all! You're the MOON!" he cried, "Just like your name! Pegasus-sama was the sun, and you were the reflection of his light! And I... I was left to crawl in the darkness..." His voice faded as he spoke, head bowed. "Do you have any idea... How that makes me feel when you say that? Telling me this... While I search for the light in this darkness... You..." With a snap Yakou looked back up, fists clenched with renewed rage. "I'll get my light.. The RA Project isn't through just yet! I still have a vessel... And I still have the one I hate, standing right before me!" he roared, gaze snapping to Yugi. "You hounded Pegasus-sama until he drew his last breath... And when I crush you, nothing ill stand in the way of his resurrection, nothing!"

"But Yakou, he's innocent!" his brother protested. "What Keith told you was a lie, Yugi never brought any harm to Pegasus-sama!"

"No... He brought harm alright," the man sneered. "He defeated him in a match and shattered his will to live... If he hadn't have fought you," he snarled, pointing toward Yugi, "Then he would have still been alive today! No one as powerful as he would have died without wanting to! So it doesn't matter who killed him directly!" Yakou roared, "So long as I defeat the one who allowed it to pass!"

"EVEN SO!" Yugi snarled, having quite enough of the younger Tenma's demands and claims. "The battle between Pegasus and myself had been prearranged from his own side- it was a fair match and a fight between duelists! Our fight has nothing to do with Anzu," he continued, "So let her go!"

"Let her go?" Yakou's sneer grew still more chilling, the expression widening into a grin. "I'm afraid I can't do that Yugi..." The others stiffened even further, and with a hacking laugh the man continued. "Mazaki Anzu is now a part of the Ja-Shin! To remove her now would mean her death! You can consider it your divine punishment," he snarled, the grin refusing to fade, "And the price of your actions..."

A snort came from behind Yugi, Seto stepping forward to growl. "Just duel him and be over with," she snarled, looking to Yakou but speaking to the one beside her. "Obviously your only hope of fixing this is smashing his 'gods' to pieces!"

"Yes... But..."

Gekkou finished for him. "If Yugi loses it's likely that Yakou will have just enough power to fuel his project again..."

"Who cares about the risk?" the woman snarled back. "Just use that power to crush him first! I've fought you before Yugi," she continued with narrowed eyes. "And I acknowledge your strength... Like hell will I watch you accept defeat at the hands of something like this."

The boy turned, looking at Kaiba a moment with a swallow. If he didn't know better he'd have been marvelling at the fact that she could still hold onto rivalry right now... But thinking those words over, he found himself responding with an almost worried, but understanding smile. Well then...

"...Tenma!" he barked, turning back with a shout. "Prepare yourself! This is the end of your 'Project'!"

"We'll just see," the man sneered, stepping back to take his place on the arena whilst Yugi did so himself. "I somehow doubt you'll last very long this time! Now! COME AT ME, YUGI!"

"You asked for it! DUEL!" they both chorused, disks locking into position as decks of cards shuffled into place. And on both sides cards were drawn, neither of the opponents willing to back down- both fought to bring someone back. Both fought for who they cared about.

Who it was that would return however, was another matter entirely.

"Here I go Yakou!" he shouted clearly, "I go first! I play Alpha the Magnet Warrior in defense mode," he began, the crouching magnet appearing in a flash. "In addition, one card face down before I end my turn!"

"My turn then," his opponent announced, "And I draw!" From across the field Yakou chuckled darkly under his breath, hiding it quickly as he made his play. "One card face down," he started off, before taking another card to the field. "And next, I summon this- Barbaros, King of the Sacred Beasts!"

With a mighty digitized roar the monster appeared- the body and head of a lion with the torso and arms of a man between them came to the field, with a lance in one and a shield in the other. But as the armored creature arose Yugi stiffened. Eight stars... This was an eight star monster, and yet-

"Surprised?" Yakou asked in obvious amusement. "Barbaros is the greatest of the Demi-Gods, servants to the Gods themselves... An eight star monster that can be summoned without sacrifice!" he roared, the monster giving a similar cry. "Of course," the duelist admitted almost carelessly, "Without sacrifices, the attack power is lowered to 1900 points... But no matter!" he laughed, pointing the beast forward. It's more than enough for your monster, Yugi! Now Barbaros! ATTACK! TORNADO SHAVER!"

The leonine beast snarled, lance spinning in his hand as charged- and with ease the magnetic warrior before him was shaven through the middle, scraps of metal and plastic floating through the air a moment before vanishing on the wind. "Gh..." He grimaced as the lion stared him down, before tapping the side of his duel disk to activate the card he'd set. "Activate trap!" he announced, card swinging upward from the field. "Soul Rope! At the cost of 1000 life points," he continued, the meter dipping down as a card was spat from the deck, "I can special summon any level four or lower monster from the deck... And with that in mind," he continued, pulling the card free and setting it on the field, "Arise... King's Knight!"

"Hn... Alright then," Yakou sneered, still holding a dark smile across his face. "I'll end my turn..."

"Very well!" In that case, the next part of his strategy. "First, I summon the Queen's Knight in attack mode," he announced, setting the card on the field and watching as the armored Queen stepped forth. "Next... By the effects of the Queen and King, I special summon the Jack's Knight from my deck- also in attack mode! Finally," he continues. "One card, face down..."

"What speed..." Though he didn't look to the side Yugi could hear as those watching murmured to each other, Gekkou's voice at the moment standing out most. "He already has the three sacrifices needed for a god..." Yes. That was one way...

But as those standing by Gekkou narrowed their eyes, Yugi did the same.

And Yakou merely laughed. "King, Jack and Queen... The three face card summons to call down a God," he sneered. "But not if my beast kills them first! If even one of your swordsmen are lost, you can't summon a god on your next turn!" he continued with a laugh. "Now... BARBAROS! Attack!" "Hn!" As the lion charged Yugi merely smirked.

"Don't fear the GODS, Yakou! I activate my face down card... Polymerization!"

"Nh-?" With a widening grin the vortex appeared. The card swung upward and the pixels that formed the knights began to scatter, swirling through the air to form one single being. And as shadows seemed to swirl through the air a single sound cut through it, and along with it the holographic lion charging them now. The knights had fused- and now, upon the field; "Behold... The Arcana Knight, Joker!"

"CH-!" Dust and smoke flew back against Yakou's face, throwing the man's hair behind him and whipping across his face. From the field, Gekkou was shouting cheers- about how he was in the lead now... But at the same time Yugi's eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the tight expression on Kaiba's face instead; they both knew after all, what Yakou's deck was capable of. It was designed to summon the Jashin at high speed, Avatar in particular.

So how much time did he have with this? And... "Hnhnhnhnhn..." Shit. "Yugi," Yakou chuckled, shaking his head as he recovered from the hit. "I believe it was you who said 'Don't fear the Gods'?" As his opponent stiffened further the air seemed to thicken. Yakou's lips quirked up in the start of a psychotic grin and with one small tap his face down card swung upward. "It is you who should be afraid," he warned. "Now... Tremble before the pulse of the Ja-shin... I activate 'Level Resist Wall'; allowing me to summon two or more monsters whose combined level are equal to Barbaros' own! Watch... Angel 01," he called, the first 'level one' monster arising to the field. "Caacrinolas," he continued, a third level, demonic hound arising next. "And finally," he laughed, as a cloaked bowman followed behind, "Leraje, the lord of archery!" Level four. Three monsters, summoned in an instant... "And since I still have one summon left..." Shit... "Here. Botis, in defense mode," he chuckled, the sword wielding 'naga' coming to a defensive crouch among all the others. "And I'll end my turn." Gh...

Shit. Four monsters, which meant that since he only had one on the field... Yugi drew his next card, teeth grinding as he looked it and the others in his hand over. "My turn," he managed, eyes narrowing. There were no monsters in his hand... Which meant he had only one choice. "Arcana Knight Joker!" he ordered, the monster already nodding as it rushed forward. "Attack Botis!"

In a flash the blade cleaved forward, scattered remains of the demonic warrior misting through the air as Yakou chuckled. "Is that all you've got?" he taunted, the remainder of his monsters hovering with strangely similar expressions. "I still have three monsters..." Tch.

"I..." As he'd planned of course... Yugi's fists clenched but in the end he merely steadied himself and took a card from his hand. "...I set a card face down," he announced. "And then I end my turn." And now... Yakou still had three monsters. So, if he had a God in his hand...

"Hnhnhnhnhn..." Shit. "HnhnHAHAHAAA!" Shit! "In that case Yugi... Prepare yourself, and feel the TERROR of the Ja-shin! Come... Accept the blood of the demigods... Consume the sacrifice, and become FLESH!" he howled, the three monsters streaking upwards in the form of an oily slime. The tendrils combined... Twisted and formed, with a porcelain mask forming the center of it all... "Summon forth... THE DEVIL'S ERASER!" A piercing, screeching wail came through the air, and it was all he could do not to cover his ears and turn away. From the shadows of the ground and air both the elongated and serpentine demon appeared, and looking toward its blank face Yugi swallowed. So this... Was the third of the Ja-shin brought into being through Yakou's soul... The Devil's Eraser. With four thousand attack with the cards left on the field for Arcana's summoning total, there was no question of what came next.

This was it. "NOW, Eraser," Yakou laughed, pointing forward. "ATTACK THE KNIGHT with DIGESTIVE BREATH! I need only BREATHE to destroy you! NhnhnHAHAHA_HAHAAAAA_!"

As Yakou's laughter reached fever pitch Yugi threw his arms in front of him, his own monster unable to completely keep the heat and stench of Eraser's attack from affecting him. The acid rendered his monster naught but sludge- and as he looked over his singed arms with a squint he found himself quickly staring in shock. Though the rest of the monsters that had been on the field had looked almost ridiculously 'false' the being before him was more than real- How ironic. The least self-sufficient of the Gods and he was already feeling the pain of its attack.

'_It's nothing more than a false god'_, he thought he heard Kaiba spit. That was all.

But as Yakou set a single card face down he found himself battling his own fear again. "Gh... My turn," he managed to say as he drew his next card. At the moment he had only one card on the field- one monster would give Eraser two thousand points, which meant he only had one option here. Defense! "I summon the Big Shield Guardna in defense mode!" he announced, the hologram in question hanging statically before him. As expected the Eraser's attack jumped another thousand- the power hanging on the air seemed to increase, but with six hundred more than that in defense he was safe... For now. "End turn!"

"Hnhnhnhnh..." ...So why was Yakou... "Hnhnhahaha!" Why... "So pleased with yourself," Yakou sighed, his opponent stiffening with confusion. "Stopping a God with a monster like that... Do you really think it'll work?"

"What..." The laughter increased and the oils at Eraser's base seemed to swirl and twist. The darkness increased, pointing upward, and with a vicious laugh Yakou brought another card to the field.

"The Devil's Eraser is a being that cleans everything... Destroys everything, obliterates even other gods! And with this, I'll erase your arrogance..." What-!

"My _ARROGANCE_?"

"It's my turn now isn't it?" Yakou asked with a grin. "Well then... WATCH THIS! I offer the Eraser as TRIBUTE!" Tri-tri...

"He's offering a GOD-!"

Before Kaiba's shout could be responded to the darkness swirled and howled. The clouds above converged into a vortex, the winds whipping against his face and arms as the monsters on the field began to melt. Eraser was first, entering the vortex piece by piece, until finally his entire being had literally vanished with the wind. And with it, both Guardna and the card he had placed followed... All that was on the field seemingly replaced by one thing. A six star monster whose attack was now unmatched- "Gaap- God of War!" Yakou cried. "A monster whose attack increases for each 'God' in my hand... And at the moment," he continued, grinning as he turned a card forward, "This is the only one I have..." The...

"The Devil's..."

The Devil's Avatar. He had Avatar in his hand. And now...

"I'll place one card face down," Yakou decided, the hologram shimmering into being at Gaap's side. "And now... My god will guide Gaap straight to you- and his aim is unerring! HERE I COME YUGI... Now! GAAP!" The insect armored demon gave a curt nod charging with claws the size of his arms. "ATTACK..!"

"NGHH_AHHHG_-!" Razor sharp claws left no visible effect on his body but as he attempted to defend himself the pain was all too real. The monster before him hovered there a moment...

But as he struggled to breathe he managed to take one card from his hand, shaking fingers gripping it and setting it to the field. And as the image of another card appeared, Yakou shook. "What... You... But the Eraser destroyed all your cards! How could you-"

"Cross Counter Trap!" Yugi grit out, shaking and attempting to stand. "On the turn this trap is sent to the grave by an effect, I can activate a card from my hand- your attack," he continued, the image of 'Cross Counter' slowly fading out to be replaced by another, "Allowed me to activate that trap! Now!" he continued, "Activate the 'Stairs to Hell'! When I take a direct attack," he roared, shadows rising from the field as cards were ejected from the deck, "I can summon two of Hell's envoys from the deck! And I choose these two!" he continued, the shadows rising to take the form of black armor and pale skin. "Envoy of Hell – Gorz!” he began, a blindfolded and bladed warrior rising to the field. "And... The Envoy Kaien!"

Similar armor rose up at Gorz' side, a tall helm and narrowed eyes meeting the field. Kaien's blade was gripped tight in her hand, and despite the dress-like garb she was more than ready for battle. And from across, Yakou showed fear for but a brief moment. "Two..." Two level seven monsters, summoned in an instant. "This..."

As he looked over the monsters he quickly regained his composure, eyes filling with darkness and his face contorting with rage. Once again, he had somehow gained the lead. But the odds were still against him- Yakou's Avatar was still in his hand, and the chance that three sacrifices would appear was too high! Even so...

"It's my turn now Yakou! I'll set one face down card... And following that," he continued with a snarl, "I attack Gaap with Gorz! HELL'S CROSS! "

A resounding clang met the air as the blade met Gaap's armor, before easily cleaving the being in half. Yakou grimaced against the resulting backdraft of wind, his lifepoints depleting. In the aftermath however, came a trap. "Activate!" Yakou cried, "Yellow Alert!" Ngh- Yellow? "Special summon one monster from my hand for the turn! And," he continued, opponent preparing for the worst, "I summon Tellus in defense mode!" Tellus? If he'd summoned Avatar he could have easily destroyed Gorz but...

"Very well... KAIEN!" he ordered, the woman charging with her sword at the small rounded 'angel'. "Attack! HELL'S BLADE!" Another ring of clashing metal, and Tellus was easily cut in two. But as the monster returned he froze-

Something had been left behind... Just one small...

"A wing?"

"When Tellus is destroyed," Yakou laughed, Yugi's turn timing out in the silence, "He leaves behind a wing... Moreover, now that it's my turn," he cried, "I can do this! Spell card, MULTIPLY!" he laughed, the wings quickly doing just that to fill two more monster places upon the field. "And you know what that means..." Three...

He had three tributes and one summon left, and with the Avatar in his hand! "The pulse of the Ja-shin is getting louder," Yakou whispered, eyes widening to an impossible extent as the white wings began to grow dark. "Can you hear it Yugi? Another Jashin will manifest itself before you now, just watch! LOOK, and DESPAIR!" he roared, the wings melting in the air as a vicious cyclone began to tear at the sky, "AS I SUMMON THE DEVIL'S AVATAR!"

"_**GRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_"

As the clouds tore and lighting struck, the sound of thunder pealed through the air despite not a drop of rain falling from above. Within the KaibaCorp building the server tower began to spark. Anzu's body screamed in silent protest, Jonouchi collapsed, hands gripping his head in a fruitless effort to fight the waves of pain now suddenly wracking him, and throughout it all the others could only watch...

With their eyes trained either on the events within, or on the field above. "Do you see now?" Yakou cried, eyes wide and almost satanic grin wider. "See the form of my other self! This is the Devil's Avatar... THIS IS THE GOD THAT WILL CRUSH YOU!" A jet black sun, the antithesis of the God Ra...

A complete and total eclipse, as though the serpent 'apep' had come from the shadows and devoured him completely... Yugi watched as the shadows twisted and converted, melting and writhing as they attempted to decide on a form to mirror. And with a blackened hand it 'reached'... With wide sightless eyes it stared, mouth gaping, hair limp...

'_Yu... gi..._'

"Gnh- Anzu-!" As quickly as he saw her she was gone, vanished into the shadows above- and as his eyes followed the path that Yugi's took, Yakou smirked.

"Hnhnhnhnhn... Well... It looks as though your precious friend is already being absorbed by the Ja-shin," he sneered, eyes narrowing as they turned to face his opponent.

"What..." Absorbed?

"Exactly," Yakou hissed, voice tinged with an almost possessed form of adoration. "Absorbed and replaced, allowing Pegasus-sama into this world... She will be drunk up, every last drop," he sneered, "Unless you can topple this Ja-shin! This Avatar who transcends everything on the field to reign eternal! NOW AVATAR!" he ordered, not even waiting for his opponent to shout a response. "Take your new form! For this is the JUDGEMENT of the Ja-shin!" he snarled, the black shadows twisting and furling into the more powerful of the two envoys on the field. "DEATH to you and all the ones you love! AVATAR!" Yakou ordered as the duplicate of Gorz sneered. "FINISH HIM NOW!" This...

The shadow charged and with its blades cut Kaien in half easily, fragmented pixels scattering the air and melting to join the pool. The oils burned the air and burned his arms and feet, and as he looked toward it he growled. This monster-! There were shouts at the side again, he realized. Shouts of worry from Gekkou, shouts of alarm from the 'Card Professor' with them.

Kaiba was silent. His other half as well was silent, merely watching with wide eyes from the back of his mind. His lifepoints...

Had now dropped to a mere 99 in that turn. The Avatar's power was unspeakable... Taking the power of the most powerful on the field to surpass it only by one. The only thing it needed. And now he was standing here, about to be crushed by it.

"What's wrong Yugi?" the duelist taunted, mad grin leering from the end of the field. "It's your turn you know! For every moment you deliberate, more of Anzu's soul is absorbed... Better hurry!"

"Gh... Bastard..." But he was right. He had no other choice... Drawing his next card he swallowed, before making his play. "I discard one card to the graveyard," he began, "Allowing me to special summon 'The Tricky'!" he continued, the cards shifting to their places as the faceless jester rose to the field.

"Oh... Turning to defense?" Yakou cackled, shaking in his mirth. "You'll never save your friend that way..."

"I'm not defending this turn. In fact," Yugi countered, his opponent stiffening, "I'll attack the Jashin!"

"What-?"

"Watch! I activate the spell 'Union Attack'!" he announced, card swinging upward. "And, using it's effect," he continued, "Both of my monsters will attack with their combined power! And since the Avatar's is based on Gorz alone," he spat, pointing them forward, "It far surpasses yours! So... Tricky, Gorz! ATTACK! MAGIC SWORD RUSH!"

With a blur of light the monsters charged; Tricky with his fists and Gorz with his blade. Gorz would be the one to strike though, bringing his gauntlets down through the avatars form with ease- however...

"Wh-..!"

The Avatar quickly retaliated. "Gorz... Gorz was defeated?"

"Hnhnhnhnha..." Wisps of smoke faded on the air, and as the Avatar's form shifted and twisted into the only remaining monster on the field Yakou grinned. "I activated 'Disappearance of Power'... Rendering your 'Tricky's lifepoints 'zero' and blocking him from attack..." he sneered, the Tricky seeming to 'shrink' on the field. "I saw every one of your duels in this building," the man laughed, shaking his head. "And I had plenty of time to look over the contents of that deck... The only card in your deck capable of conquering the Jashin is Union Attack!" he continued, his opponent paling more and more. "And now that I've gotten rid of that card the Jashin's reign is unstoppable! Hnhnhaha_haHAHAAA_!"

"Ngh..." Damn it all... There was nothing else he could do but this then. "One card face down," he announced, gritting his teeth. "End turn!"

"Indeed it is..." As Yugi continued to stare at his opponent in rage the man laughed, dark grin shrinking into a smile. "So close that I feel like something different..." Different? "It's my turn!" Yakou laughed, drawing his next card and playing another in the same instant. "And now Yugi! We're going to put a little spin on things!"

"What?" And just what could he possibly do to make this-

"I activate this!" Yakou announced clearly. "The card Fiend's Sanctuary!" Fiend...

Fiend's sanct...

At Yakou's feet came the familiar symbols that had appeared earlier that summer beneath his own. The hex circles and charmed writing, each letter and charm giving off enough light to almost illuminate the entire half of the field. And then yet another circle appeared... Somewhat smaller, directly before them, and immediately to the side of the Avatar's current form. From the circle came a black mist that somehow paled in comparison to the Avatar's darkness... Molded from metal, staring forward until its 'face' locked onto Yugi's own. He could see his reflection, he realized with a swallow, already aware of the fact that the monster had now gained attack equal to his own remaining life. He could see his reflection, clear as day... With horror he watched as the Avatar changed to match the 'new' power on the field. As, rather than crude metal limbs it began to swirl, forming a perfect silhouette of something else. First was hands and feet... Legs and arms, initially resembling any other human being, someone with a jacket hanging open over themselves. And then the puzzle formed. A black chain and a black puzzle, followed by a face of equal darkness. There were no 'eyes'- merely voids on the form that had come into being, and as he paled even more those watching from the side were struck silent with shock. The Avatar's new form was not at all the Mirror Token that Yakou was calling into play. The Avatar had taken the form of the original Yugi.

* * *

He had won. He was certain of this fact- more than certain in fact, Yakou had told himself. He had won and there was nothing his opponent could even claim against it. "Fiend's Sanctuary," he had announced clearly, unable to stop himself from grinning maliciously toward his opponent. The card created a pentagram. And from the pentagram came a metal fiend...

And that fiend took the power of the opponent's life... "...Ai...Bou..." Therefore, two monsters reflected what stood before him.

"Have you had a long enough look, Yugi?" His opponent was silent, mouth somewhat open in shock as he stared in horror at the 'blackened' Yugi before him. "Have you seen enough, YUGI? The Avatar has taken the form of your other self... A form he'll use to destroy you on this turn! And how does it feel, I wonder?" he asked, triumph filling him completely. "To know defeat and despair at that other self's hand?" While his opponent's expression twisted into a look of pure and unrelenting hate Yakou's grin merely grew still wider. Proof of all he was fighting for stood at his side now. Proof of the words that had filled his dreams, of the words that he had been so assured were true now stood with him...

And no matter the front that 'Yugi'... The 'Other Yugi' tried to put up to appear as anything but terrified he knew...

The Avatar was a God after all. Those before it could show nothing else. And as the Avatar's current form leered and scowled at their opponent he had to chuckle- the flinch and hesitation were obvious...

And as he pointed the monster forward, the other Yugi's terror was revealed in full. "Hnhnhnhnhn... Succumb to your SUPERIOR!" Yakou howled, the Avatar giving an audible growl as he moved with open hands to grab at his target. "Succumb you fool without memories, you who don't even know their own FACE! AVATAR! NOW!" The Avatar drew close...

Its eyes, though black, were wide with feral rage and though it needn't touch the ground it seemed to even run across it to strike the other Yugi down. And finally, when it was but two feet from him-

"S... STOP!" Light filled the air, and a piercing screech followed as the Avatar was forced back. One, two, three...

Blades of light toppled to the ground, almost burning the Avatar and blinding those around it. The Swords of Revealing Light! "Tch... Of course," he hissed, turning a narrowed glare about the field as he re-evaluated his options. "As a field encompassing spell the swords aren't affected by the God's power of negation... You've bought yourself a shield!" he spat, the other Yugi breathing haggardly across him. "Well...We'll see how long you have then," the man snarled. "I'll set two cards face down and end my turn instead! But Yugi," he continued darkly. "You can't run forever..."

From across him, 'Yugi' swallowed. And despite his unease, managed to steady himself and continue on. "My turn then," he rasped, drawing his next card. With a single glance it was hurriedly placed on the field, cards in his deck shuffling as he removed the lone monster he had remaining. "I play the spell Monster Recovery!" the boy called out, drawing a new set of cards. "By returning all monsters from my hand and field to the deck, I can draw five cards!" Oh really now?

"Hn." So he made a miracle draw...

Well then, he thought to himself as his opponent continued. Fighting until the bitter end... "I set two cards face down and end my turn!" his opponent cried. "Your move!" Ahh...

"Not even a shield?" he chuckled, narrowing his eyes in amusement as he drew his next card. A single look told him all he needed to know, and the grin widened. "Do these swords make you feel safe?" Well then. "Hnhnhnhnhn... I pay the 1000 lifepoint cost to keep the Metal Devil on the field," he decided, lifepoints shifting from 1900 to 900. And while his opponent stared in shock he grinned. "I'm not about to wait three turns for your little spell to fade... I play De-Spell!" he announced, the blades of light shattering completely. "Deactivating them now! Which means that it's time!" he laughed as he pointed the shadow forward. "For the Ja-shin... No... 'Yugi Mutou'... The one whose very face and life you've stolen, to bring about your end! PREPARE TO FACE HIS TRUE FEELINGS! NOW-"

"True feelings?" his opponent repeated dully, Yakou's grin merely twitching as he chuckled. "You think my partner... Hates me?"

"You live in his body do you not?" he sneered, grin falling as he growled. "You wear his face and live his life, do you not!" As 'Yugi' stiffened Yakou continued, his own past memories flooding his mind as he snarled. Of the words his adoptive father had given... Of the words all those who had seen them both had said. The 'other' Tenma... The 'failed copy'...

_'It would be better,_' they had said, '_If he didn't exist...'_ Surely...

Surely, the real Yugi, in the back of this one's mind felt the same way toward...

"Gh... You may have his form but you aren't the same!" he roared. "Which one of you dominated the Battle City Tournament, earning the 'Championship' title? Which one of you defeated Pegasus-sama in the Duelist Kingdom, claiming the name of 'Duel King'! WAS IT HIM?" he asked, opponent standing stiff. "NO! It was YOU who won all those titles! And ONLY you! The real Yugi did nothing, and you STOLE his chances of doing so!"

"That's not..." 'Yugi' shook his head, eyes widening even further. "You're wrong... That isn't..."

"Even Anzu Mazaki," he snarled, the blood draining even further from his opponent's face. "You plan on taking her as well, don't you!"

"You..."

"You can't even come up with a single word in your defense!" Yakou growled. "Pathetic! Really... Could anyone blame him for his anger!"

"YAKOU! THAT IS ENOUGH!" As the words cracked over the air Yakou stiffened, eyes widening.

"You," he whispered, staring in shock. "The real..."

Yugi narrowed his eyes in stubborn rage, somehow able to hold an appearance of calm despite things. In an instant, even with that, he seemed to calm further- And it was in that instant that he spoke. "You're wrong Yakou," he stated clearly, voice echoing throughout the sky. "I'm not angry at all... And I never have been angry with my other self- not in the way that you're describing."

"What..." That...

That was impossible, he couldn't possibly be... "The other me broadens my horizons," Yugi continued calmly. "To say that I haven't gained anything... That the other me has replaced me... Is nothing but a lie! I've gained all sorts of things, things I consider far more important than a 'title' in a game! Jonouchi-kun... Honda-kun... Kaiba-san, and everyone else- All those people I've met, all of the people I consider my precious friends- if it wasn't for my other self, I would never have met them, no matter how hard I wished! Yakou," he continued coldly. "This is not 'my' rage you're attacking with... It's yours and nothing but!" That...

"You..." His rage?

ONLY his rage? They were in the same position! Overshadowed by another with their face, overshadowed by 'perfect' duelists... He thought...

Of anyone...

_'in the end you are alone..._' How right...

"You really are too dense," he hissed, looking toward Yugi with a stone gaze. "I'm almost jealous..." The boy blinked, looking almost betrayed. Hah! Betrayed of all things. And at the same time, with that same face, his brother from the side...

"Yakou..." How dare he...

"I suppose you're right," Yakou snarled bitterly, the darkness seeming to writhe and twist with his very hate. "Physically there's only one of you! You don't have a living, breathing reminder of your failures and weaknesses like I do!" The ground and sky both rumbled and as all those before him stared in silence his tightened fist began to cut into skin. "One person or two... I'll defeat you together! So then, Yugi! TREMBLE before the Ja-shin, the personification of my WRATH! Give into his power and let him kill you swiftly!"

"Tch... If that's the case," Yugi responded, voice seeming to shift as hair grew wild and eyes sharp, "Then allow us to destroy that wrath and free you now! BRING IT ON!"

* * *

An inferiority complex, he thought he heard Kaiba say from the ground. This all started because of one brother's sense of inferiority compared to the other, fed and grown by the darkness of the Ja-shin.

'_Should you be happy?_' Kaiba was asking Gekkou now, eyes cold. '_Or sad about that, I wonder..?_'

Gekkou was silent for a number of moments. And in the end he couldn't say anything at all. Because the answer as he looked to his little brother on the field, was obvious. "Jashin-Yugi!" Yakou ordered in that moment, the shadowed figure snarling in rage. "ATTACK DIRECTLY!"

The demon charged in that instant, charging in a manner almost similar to how he would float... But Yugi stood by his side at that moment- the real one. And so he would continue. "It's still too early for the end Yakou!" he cried. "And I activate this trap! 'Shadow Guardmen'!" The card swung upward just as two misty beings of light swooped into the opposing Avatar's face, the shadow again screeching as the light settled into a pair of armored tokens. "By the effects of the trap two shadow guardmen tokens are summoned in defense mode!" he explained, "Which means no damage will come to me now!"

"Nonsense!" Yakou countered as the Avatar briefly faltered in his attack. "You won't stop me with that... Activate the trap Berserker Mode!" Bersek-

"Gh-" With a clang of metal the guardsmen shifted their position, shields lowered and bladed arms at the ready.

"Hnhnhnhnh..." His opponent chuckled. "Thought you could avoid this? And don't think another trap will save your guardsmen from attack!" Save them? Yugi merely grinned.

"Well... Of course I'll go through with the battle phase," he said calmly, those at the side stiffening.

"You..." Kaiba caught on immediately. "I see what you're doing," she realized, a small smirk slowly coming into place over her face. "GOOD! It's about time... STOP THAT GOD WITH A TASTE O REAL POWER, the power I gave you in Battle City!"

"I will!" he responded, tapping the disk as yet another card swung upward. "Here I come Yakou... Spellcard! MONSTER REBORN!" From the side he could almost see Kaiba's grin. "And the monster I bring back," he continued, a great shadow rising up behind him as the sky rumbled, "Is none-other than this card I discarded... THE GOD OF STORM... SUTEKH OF THE OBELISK!"

"**Almost young KING,**" the great being rumbled as his wide wings came into being. "**One TIME, and you will know my TRUE name and POWER!**" One day...

The God towered over the Avatar and yet the Avatar showed little reaction but apparent apathy toward the being that had appeared. And in the same manner, the brief shock that Yakou had in reaction to the armored God's appearance was naught but a smirk. "Hmnp. So what?" he hissed, narrowed eyes watching as the the shadows of the Avatar abandoned the form of his opponent. "Even the Gods aren't immune to the powers of the Avatar after all! See?" he continued, the real Obelisk watching as a somewhat larger version of itself came to loom from behind Yakou. "BEHOLD, he who surmounts your God... JASHIN-OBELISK!"

"Ahhh... No..." Gekkou swallowed from the side, eyes widening. "Don't do it Yugi... Don't! Even if you have Obelisk's power!"

"Don't underestimate a God," Kaiba snorted, the pair's comments easily heard over the field. "Obelisk' true power can arise at any moment..." Yes...

The highest ability at the God's disposal... One he could use now that there were two others on his side of the field... "Exactly!" he shouted. "Obelisk's special ability activates!" Yugi cried, the two guardsmen tokens snatched up and crushed within the God's clawed hands, "Sacrificing the two tokens on the field to make his power infinite! SOUL ENERGY- MAX!" he continued, the Avatar as well crackling with power. "UNDERSTAND, Yakou? A value that cannot be added OR subtracted!"

"So you still don't understand then," his opponent snarled, paying no heed to the forbidding shadows that the gods now formed over them. The shadows seemed to mist and play around his very body of all things, and if he forgot to look properly he could swear his very eyes had grown black. "Your God and my 'God' stand on completely different places of ranking! Anything beneath his rule will be negated, plain and simple! HNHNAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Yugi-san..." The boy turned, catching Gekkou's crestfallen expression and staring back in silence.

"...Gekkou." As the man stared, Yugi merely returned the gaze with a confidence he had almost lost throughout the duel as the morning hour approached. "I'm going to defeat Yakou. Understand?" Again, there was more silence...

But it seemed that as Gekkou answered, the clouds began to slowly depart to make way for dawn's light. "I beg of you to do so then," he responded clearly.

"Hn! Defeat me?" Yakou snarled, voice seeming to cause as much of a rumble as the gods themselves. "I've already explained why it won't work... Now... AVATAR! SMASH THE OBELISK!" The shadowed hand balled into a fist, and with a feral cry that did not at all suit the beast it flung it toward his opponent's monster.

And Yugi merely smiled, already seeing the outcome of this match. "Yakou... You claimed that the gods both sat on completely different tiers of power, did you not?" he asked, opponent faltering with shock. "Well... Obelisk' 'rank' as God... Is about to be upgraded by none-other than your brother's power!" he announced. "Watch! I activate my third trap!"

"What!"

"GOD EVOLUTION! And with THIS!" Yugi roared, the wings of Obelisk stretching and crackin with feathered designs, "I bestow upon my God the Highest level of rank," he cried, legs fusing into a long and serpentine tail that brought the Obelisk' form a number of feet taller. Armor gleamed with light and power. What was an ocean blue grew gold and scarlet, giving off as much light as the sun itself. With his fists clenched, Yugi pointed the new god forward with a snarl. "Here- Behold the true form of the God of the Obelisk... The God of SANDS, STORMS, and CHAOS! SUTEKH!"

"**HnhnHAHAHAHA! SOONER THAN WE THOUGHT,**" the God laughed, almost canine helm doing nothing to hide a vicious and mummified grin. "**WELL NOW, LITTLE KING... YOU HOLD SURPRISES YET TO BE DISCOVERED IT WOULD SEEM!**"

The clouds split from the point where Sutekh stood. They blew back, unable to cloak the world in darkness as the sun and the light of the Gods bled over them, and as the power that surpassed their own walked the earth again. And as Yakou stuttered, darkened eyes wide and unresponsive, Yugi pointed the God forward. "Yakou!" he called. "Here I go! I ATTACK!" he roared, both monsters slamming their fists toward the other with a snarl, "GOD HAND IMPACT!"

"_**RRRSSS-SSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-**_"

"**HHRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!**"

-_dOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU_

Across the air a shockwave like no other rattled the sky. Light, intense light formed of darkness as well blinded all those who heard and felt it, and especially those who watched. And as the air visibly rippled beneath that light and as both opponents shielded their eyes behind their arms, both sides couldn't help but wonder the results. Would the Upgrade truly have allowed Obelisk- Sutekh- to surpass the Ja-shin?

Or would the Ja-shin, slippery as it was, find a way around even that?

Inside the server began to scream in protest; sparks flew and those before it were forced to duck behind walls and pray for it to pass. Above it, Anzu and her connections began to scream for real, with one in her presence watching in horror and the other clutching his head in agony as the shadows themselves seemed to attack- The light began to fade...

But with it, the sun could be seen rising on the horizon. And the clouds from the night before finally cleared, leaving the air to be dyed a pale gold and rose. And the gods...

Crumbled. Their bodies flaked and fell as dust, blowing in two separate directions on the wind. The darkness was gone...

For a moment, both duelists could hear a voice.

_'You stand on your own_,' they could hear, a shade seeming to appear with his back toward the shocked Yakou, '_Because you do not need me any longer..._' Like the gods, the shade as well began to crumble...

And Yakou screamed. "No... Pegasus-sama!" he cried, the ghost of red and white misting into nothing as colour returned to the young man's eyes and body. "PEGASUS-SAMA! WHY! Why did you leave me! PEGASUS!" The man wept...

But Yugi was distracted by another on the field, who in the still blinding light that surrounded the duelists, stood and smiled before him. "...Anzu," he whispered, the woman giving him a warm smile. She seemed different somehow...

But he couldn't figure out why. "Hey," she laughed, the light seeming to pass through her in that moment. "We should head back to the others... Shouldn't we?" The spirit began to mist, but this time he merely smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. We should." The light cleared in full...

And while Yugi stood upon the field looking toward the weeping Yakou, those on the side stared in shock. "Obelisk... And the Jashin both," Gekkou whispered, the others unable to speak. "They're both gone..." The shadows had passed...

But inside there was still more to come, regardless of the fact that Anzu was now at last waking up...

_...For the story was not over just yet._

_Though the darkness had passed and he knows this, there is the recovery to deal with after all. After what happens in the chamber Neker stays at his side for hours. Longer than it takes for a curious mother to the boy to come down, longer than it takes for a scarcely alive elder to wheeze out the boy's name as culprit. He stays at his side and listens as the village argues the boy's fate, and as a demand for death rings clear among the core of Elna'am. He stays as the boy's sister begs an alternative, and as the mother watches on with cold eyes in silence. He listens... _

_And slips away with the boy on his back. _

_He hides the boy among the rocks in the desert, beneath an old and unused stable hut, before returning to the village by way of shadows just as they have taught him. Some money here and there... Some food preserved in jars, and some water. It is rude to steal from the dead this is true, but a number of their citizens among the outer ring and even the inner core do so anyway- they have taught Neker well, and it is with those teachings that the Elders homes are slightly emptier as he leaves them one by one._

_He does not pause to hear the verdict of his friend's sentence. He does, however, catch a few words-_

_For they have discovered the boy's absence. _

_'If that demon returns he should be killed on sight!' _

_'Let him be run- he'll be killed mercilessly by the desert anyway, even stoning would be pity!' _

_'He has destroyed our culture, our people!' _

_...The words echo. _

_Neker flees the village with a heavy heart, and as he takes the water he has stolen to the boy's lips he whispers for his friend to wake up. "Come on," he pleads, water splashing in and around the boy's mouth. "Wake up please, wake up..." _

_The boy does not respond, and as Neker bows his head he wonders if it has all been for naught. If his friend is already past the point of no return, and if the dragon's sacrifice has been wasted. _

_Suddenly however, coughing meets the air. The boy's face twists into a grimace and he moves, rolling over to cough up what water fell to his lungs. _

_"Kh- GHAH!" _

_"Y-You're awake-!" The boy turns to Neker only to find himself wrapped in a hug, the boy caught in it looking around in confusion. "I thought you'd died," he whispers fearfully, unable to move. "I thought it was all for nothing that it was all to late, I-" Before he can say more and before the boy can speak there are shouts from the distance, accompanied by lantern lights. Neker learned well, but not well enough to cover his tracks in the sand with perfection. They are coming... _

_And they will not have mercy when they realize that they are still nearby. While the boy looks on confused he finds his arms full of what Neker has stolen, before being pulled up by the shoulders. "N-Neker?" the boy asks, shaking his head. "Neker... What's going on? What happened..." _

_"You need to run," Neker tells him, swallowing fearfully, "And fast... Far! They won't have horses, and you have the desert right?" The boy continues to stare, words and sights filling his mind with confusion. "Listen," he continues, biting his lip. "The dragon... He's in your shadow now, he'll always be there. He brought you back to life," Neker weeps, "And I'm not letting that go to waste. There's water and food in this pack, it should last until the capital... There's also some gold, so you can trade for something, anything, I don't... I don't know, I..." The boy watches as his best friend rambles, and slowly his mind connects the jumbled spray of words. _

_Slowly his eyes widen in horrified realization, and clutching the pack of things tears begin to run down his face. "Neker," he whispers. "Everyone is..." _

_"You need to run," Neker repeats, grip tightening on his shoulders briefly before he turns to face the approaching lamp lights. "I'll hold them off as long as you can but you need to run understand?" The boy stares, confused, and his friend continues. "Run," Neker tells him, the boy taking no more than a hesitant step back. With a start he's pushed back, his friend's eyes wide and angry. "RUN!" _

_The boy stumbles. But with fearful eyes he realizes he has no choice. _

_He darts off into the desert sands while his friend waits to distract the villagers. He runs with the rising sun coming up from the side of him, and he runs until his feet are cracked and bleeding, until sand coats his sweating skin and until tears and salted ground cannot be told apart from the other. He trips..._

_He falls... _

_The gold he's to sell scatters before his arms and glitters where the sun hits it, merely glowing dully in locations his shadow sits. And the boy stares at his shadow, for one minute, two... He stares... _

_And with a mourning wail he finally cries, holding himself close and wishing the dragon was there beside him instead of lost to the depths of his own shadow. With a weeping cry he holds himself close, wishing that a single voice... _

_"jonouchi" _

_Just one voice... _

_"Jonouchi..." _

_He could hear-_

"JONOUCHI WAKE UP!"

"NYH!" The blond opened his eyes with a jolt, choking as he attempted to get his bearings straight. This wasn't a desert, this wasn't sand, this wasn't...

Wherever.

It was the upper server room. With the machine. The machine that Anzu had been-

"Really," Anzu sighed, arms crossed as she looked worriedly at the teen. "It's bad enough you had to help me, don't add another to the list..." Ah...

"A-Anzu-!"

Honda nodded. "Yep. She woke up half way through the server storm a few moments ago. Of course," he added with a frown, “While your 'seizure' stopped at the same time, that didn't mean you woke up..."

The blond flushed, and a third voice joined in. "You're lucky I'm not telling neesama about this too," Mokuba said with a frown, the boy standing there with crossed arms and a scowl. "The only reason I'm not is because those 'ja-shin' are probably gone; which means it should stop." Errr...

He coughed. "Eh... R-Righ'..." He stumbled to his feet, rubbing his head. "Ow... What'd I hit anyway..."

"The machine, the floor, my face when I tried to keep you from flailing..." Anzu shrugged. "You'd stopped by the time I was out, so I wouldn't know really." Ehhh...

"Yeah tha' figures..." He sighed, before blinking in sudden confusion. Hey wait a second... "O-Oi... Yugi's still fightin' up there isn' he?"

"Nh?" While the others as well blinked, Mokuba frowned. "I can check... But..."

"If the ja-shin are gone," Honda asked, "Then the duel should be over right?"

Anzu shrugged. "Maybe. But Malik's duel wasn't over when Ra was defeated right? So there's a chance..."

"Ah! You're right Katsuya-nii..!" The three turned to where Mokuba was, the boy holding up his slate. "Their duel disks are still running- 900 points for Tenma, and 99 for Yugi..." He bit his lip. "It's not looking good..."

Heh. "But it's good enough." The others turned, and Katsuya grinned. "Hey, Anzu... You can walk alright, righ'?"

The woman stared, expression growing rather incredulous. "...I'm more worried about you..."

"Good!" He quickly grabbed his friend's shoulders, turning to Mokuba with a laugh. "Then what're we waitin' for? Time t' go cheer 'm on!"

"Katsuya-nii, I think the match is about to end..."

"Let's go, let's go!"

"J-Jonouchi..."

"Jonouchi!"

"Goooooo-!" In the end, they decided to simply let the blond do as he wished, unsurprisingly...

And up above, the moves they would miss played around in his mind.

* * *

It was morning now.

At the side Kaiba was receiving notice from her brother that the server had returned to normal, with all data of the Jashin eradicated. And above as Kaiba explained things to Gekkou...

'_Now that its influence is gone from the server... I'm sure it's vanished from your brother as well._'

Indeed, the shadows seemed to dissipate with Kaiba's words. With ashes of former cards blowing back on the wind and off the side of the building. Yugi stared as the man before him clutched his head, shakily trying in vain to stand. "...Yakou," he called, unable to see his face even as the man brought his hands down to his sides. "The Ja-shin are gone- they've left with the clouds and the night. ...I think it's about time," he continued, "That the desires brought up with them fade as well."

Again, Yakou fell to his knees, tear filled eyes staring at the ground. "He said... 'I don't need him'," he whispered, drops of water falling to the ground. Yugi stared, watching as Yakou wiped his eyes and turned his gaze skyward. "...Without so much as turning his head... It's over..."

"No." The man turned, quivering eyes widening as Gekkou shouted to him. "No Yakou... The fight isn't over yet!" Yakou continued to stare, and his brother went on. "Before this battle started... You said that I was a moon reflecting light from the sun, like my name... And you're right. Without the light... Without Pegasus-sama, I would never have been able to stand here. But Yakou! That isn't you!" he cried, the expression on his brother's face moving to despair to mere confusion. "Even in the thickest darkness, you can still move forward! The reason Pegasus-sama hid the Ja-shin away was because you don't need them to succeed! So rather than Pegasus-sama being at the end of this battle," he continued, "Find your true self... The self that Pegasus saw with his eye!"

Still Yakou was silent, eyes widening somewhat. But despite the silence it seemed he finally understood- turning back to the front, he shakily rose to his feet... And he nodded. "...Yugi-san," he began, voice still quiet and soft spoken even in comparison to Gekkou's own. "...Let's continue this duel to the end."

His opponent merely smiled. "Hn. Alright then..! It's still your turn Yakou!"

Yakou nodded. "Right! Then in that case, I activate the spell Level Award," he started off, the mood of the match changing entirely as the card appeared over the field. "Using its effect," he continued, "I change the level of the Metal Devil token to eight stars!" A warm wind blew over the field, and as Yugi watched he continued. This was the real Yakou now- a clear mind, and a clear head...

A quiet voice and a desire to be acknowledged as himself. So...

Through this duel, they would finally see who Yakou really was! "Next, I activate my trap!" Another card swung upward on the field, and the duelist explained. "Star Level Shuffle! Which allows me to switch out my level eight 'Metal Devil' for the identically leveled monster in my grave... Return to the field!" he called, the devil and its cursed circles sinking into the ground as pixels formed the paws of a greater beast before him. "The Divine King of Beasts, Barbaros!" A digitized roar heralded the monster's summoning, and as he held his lance and shield high Yakou continued still on. "With this special summon, his attack power isn't as restricted as before... I can't attack now," he continued, ignoring the scowl from Kaiba at the side. "But I'll show you the kind of duelist I am! I end my turn!"

"I hope to see that," he responded honestly. "Now that the Gods are gone, and the grudge is gone... This is a real duel now!" Yugi announced. "It's my turn! And I'm not through yet either! But we can hardly expect to make the most of this duel with what we have now... So I'll play this- Card of Sanctity!" he went on, drawing as required for the spell. "We'll both draw until we have six cards!"

His opponent nodded doing the same as the crowd stared. '_Even when Barbaros has 3000 attack points_,' Gekkou was saying, watching in wonder. '_Even then..._'

"Next, one card face down... And then, I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in defense mode!" he cried, the small golden monster shimmering into existence with a shout. With a short salute he looked back to the duelist, before taking a crouched position on the field- the monsters were back... And he was ready. "Come at me!" Yugi announced with a grin. "With all your heart and soul, make your move! I end my turn!"

His opponent nodded. "My turn," he began, looking to the single trap hesitantly. Just one trap was there, but it was daunting nonetheless- the Jashin had been finished by three mere face downs... And yet, rather than exercise caution, his mind refused. This was his fight. And he wanted to do just as Yugi had said- to attack with all he had! "Barbaros!" Yakou began, before pointing his monster forward. "ATTACK! TORNADO SHAVER!"

"Hn! So you haven't died as a duelist after all then!" Yugi congratulated. "In that case, activate the trap Soul Barrier!" he cried as the lance came in contact with Beta, the monster in question vanishing from sight immediately. "Switching Beta with Alpha from the grave and dodging your attack!" The leonine warrior paused as the warriors did this, Alpha entering a crouch just as quickly and bringing his shield up in defense. This was not the monster he had been ordered to attack. So rather than continue, Barbaros returned back to Yakou's side of the field.

Yakou blinked, and nodded almost gravely in response. "...I set two cards face down then, and end my turn," he decided. "Your move."

"Very well," he began, drawing his next card and giving it a short look. "I play a card face down," he began, setting it upon the field and watching the holograms respond. "Next, I summon Blockman in defense mode!" The lego warrior did not seem to say nor do anything as he appeared, merely taking a defensive position as ordered- in response, he brought his arms to the side and looked across to his opponent. "I end my turn!" The shields were amassing...

And in moments, a clash would appear. "Alright then," Yakou started, realizing this just as quickly as Yugi and those in the crowd. "Here I go! I summon the Machine King Ur!" he started, setting his next card to the field. From glimmering red and gold the robotic creature assembled itself, floating legless above the air with arms that resembled shields. "Next," he continued, "A spell card from my hand... Polymerization!" Poly-

Yugi's eyes widened as the metal cracked off from Ur's form, latching and clicking over top the armor of Barbaros' own. Some pieces were lost... Others merged together in elegant gold. But as the swirling winds that surrounded the monsters faded, Yakou pointed his new monster, armed with shield-like lances, toward the defenses Yugi had amassed.

"Now! Divine Beast Machine King... Barbaros-Ur! Barbaros-Ur," he explained, "Is the closest monster to the Gods. Absorbing the ability of the fellow demigod Machine King Ur; for each level it has, he can attack another monster. Moreover!" he cried, activating another spell, "The card quick attack! Allowing him to attack now! So! Barbaros-Ur!" he ordered, the monster's lances opening to reveal a set of futuristic looking guns. "Attack, with CRAG SHOT!" The shots fired forth and in an instant Yugi made his counter.

"Trap activate!" he called out. "Negate Attack!" And with those words the oncoming bullets were abruptly surrounded in winds, the harsh gale scattering pixels into the wind before allowing the duelists a moment of silence.

"98..." Yakou seemed to be muttering. "I can't even touch..." That mere 98 point drop...

"It's my turn," Yugi announced, Yakou merely staring. Both were sure now of who would win this match. Both knew that Barbaros-Ur's power would be surpassed in just a moment... And as Yugi placed the cards for his next move, the final turn was revealed. "I sacrifice Alpha to summon this!" he started, pixels rising in a column of light as a familiar blond haired magician came to the field. "The Dark Magician Girl!" The girl said nothing for this match however, merely giving a nod and preparing for the next step. "And now... Here I go! First, I activate Blockman's special ability- splitting it into two separate monsters! Following that," he continued, the Magician Girl floating back to the side to make way for what would come, "I activate this spell from my hand- Dimension Magic! I sacrifice the two block monsters," he began, the scattered tributes forming a coffin of immense size, chained and bound, "Now... ARISE! DARK MAGICIAN!"

The coffin divided with the wave of the Magician Girl's staff, and from within it walked the Magician himself. With a single nod he turned to smile toward Yugi- "_It is good to see you again, my King._"- And then he turned to face Barbaros-Ur. "_Now then... I think it is time to be rid of this obstacle before us._"

Quickly shaking off the shock, the duelist nodded. "Nm. With the Dark Magician and Dark Magician

Girl on the field at once,” he called out, "I can destroy one monster..! SO!" he cried, both magicians charging the dark magic atop their staffs. "Barbaros-Ur is destroyed!"

"_BLACK BURNING MAGIC..!_"

From the staffs shot forth a thundering flame, encompassing the opponent's monster entirely. It was eradicated in mere seconds- and as the Magicians returned to Yugi's side Yakou staring almost in shock, he smiled. "Yakou," he said calmly, as the Dark Magician Girl raised her staff again to prepare for attack. "You were a worthy opponent!" And with that, while Yakou continued to stare in silence... "Now... Dark Magician Girl attacks!"

"_Hnhnhn!~_" With the twirl of the staff she pointed it forward, doing just that. "_BLACK BURNING!_"

The light filled Yakou's end of the field but he remained silent, even as the blast's radius blew a shockwave of wind back against him. In fact... He smiled.

'_Yugi-san's strength... Is indeed great,_' he decided to himself. The stage lowered... And in the bright morning light Kaiba walked over with crossed arms, Gekkou instantly rushing toward his brother.

"Yugi," she started, a ghost of a smile playing on her face. "You returned the Kaiba Corporation building to me," she said plainly, looking down toward him. "I have to give you my thanks."

"Ah..." Thanks? Well. It seemed she had come back for the better after all. "It was nothing."

"Hn!"

The two turned, watching as Gekkou approached his brother. "Yakou," he started, eyes still filled with worry.

The younger of the two merely smiled. "...Gekkou. Thank you, for making me continue that duel. If I'd stopped then," he continued, gaze briefly turning to the ground, "I probably would have regretted it. ...I think now that it's over..." A card sat in his hands- one that the others had not seen, one that seemed incomplete. And as Gekkou glanced at it for a moment, the 'nameless' card his brother held, it was just as quickly torn.

And at the same moment, the doors opened, four others running forward with a shout. "OI!" the loudest one called. "YUGI! Congrats..!"

"YUGI!"

"Oiii Yugi! Someone's here for you!"

As the others turned Yugi's eyes widened- and as she walked over, still too exhausted to run, Anzu smiled. "Yugi! Hey!"

"Anzu..." He looked over the others, smile growing larger. "Everyone!"

"Neesama!"

"N_m-!_" While Mokuba effectively tackled his sister around the middle, Yugi ran toward the rest, the Tenma brothers merely watching it all with smiles.

"So this is the source of their strength," Yakou said quietly, looking over them as each group was lost in their own set of conversation.

"Yeah," Gekkou said with a nod. "It is."

"Hah. I'm glad then," Yakou continued. "...That I didn't take their smiles like planned..."

Gekkou said nothing more to that- there was nothing more that needed to be said.

* * *

When the excitement of the field had calmed, a number of events wound up happening in the end. First, there was an awkward bit of threat exchanging when a majority of them realized what had happened between Willa Mette and Seto earlier- starting with a harsh '_ONE WORD... _' and ending with a panicked '_Nothing. I saw... NOTHING_.' She was apparently pleased enough with that, and promptly went to reclaim her coat and fix the binding that had come loose, leaving everyone else to deal with emptying the building of the others involved.

It had brought to mind something that had been bothering Katsuya along that same topic- and as they eventually came to file out of the building and spotted Reiko helping her grandmother Maiko out on the elder's wheelchair, he finally took a moment to ask why it was that no one had really bothered to keep the matter of Mokuba's sister quiet in her presence. “Oh that?” Honda had answered idly, giving a short shrug. “Kinda funny actually- she was so quiet coming over to help, she overheard Mokuba using 'neesama' instead of 'niisama'...”  
  
“But since she also heard me say 'Katsuya-nii', she just said 'whoever this 'neesama' is, she must have done something really important compared to Jonouchi-san'...”

“So we left it at that.” He supposed it would be easier that way, it was true.

While it had been hours since the entire mess began, it seemed that it was only now that all of the Card Professors were following in Deschute's footsteps to leave- all around them it seemed were the duelists they had come to know over the course of the night. While Pete and Klamath gave a nod when they spotted Katsuya, Kirk gave a steady salute in Yugi's direction. Ted Banias and Richie Merced meanwhile were carefully woken up and passed over to paramedics that had to be called in- while people like Cedar, Keith, or Mendo simply left as soon as the duelists were out of sight.

Tilla however, was still there when they were gathered outside the exit- looking particularly anxious until she spotted them. And when Katsuya handed over the black duel disk, she was fairly elated as well- "Oh... Oh my, this is..."

"_Hn! Perhaps not such a bad duelist then..._" Well, at least the vampire approved then. In the end Tilla Mook took her leave as well... And as the morning sun put a glow on everything around them, Katsuya looked up toward the top of the building. "So... Guess th's means I get t' go back t' waitin' now... Huh."

Yugi turned, Anzu and Honda as well trading short glances. They knew that the Tenma brothers were already gone now. But as the jet up above began to take off, the three gave their own looks of sympathy to their friend. "...Jonouchi-kun..."

"Why are you still standing in front of the door, Mutt."

The blond jumped, all four of them jumping as they spotted who had just spoken. "S...Seto-chan-"

"I've said something about calling me that as I recall." Though despite the tone, the look didn't seem quite as harsh. As it was she walked past, Mokuba following behind with a grin. "Now hurry up, the car should be around soon."

"Er..." He looked back toward the others, blinking. "But..." While Honda shrugged, Yugi laughed, the other Yugi seeming to be give some form of thumbs up from behind the boy while Anzu as mouthed '_GET MOVING_'.

"Come on Katsuya-nii!" Well, that answered his question.

"Alrigh', alrigh'!" he shouted, running after the boy as the car did just as Seto had predicted. Doors were opened, seats were taken and belts buckled... The car drove off in silence, with Mokuba sitting in the front and Seto somehow managing to sit at the window opposite Katsuya's own. More silence on the air. Fiddling with his thumbs he managed to distract himself with the window for all of five minutes before it was already killing him. The silence...

The words left unsaid...

"So... How w's th' states?" he eventually said with a weak grin.

"I was forced to cancel the American Nationals because of this fiasco- it's likely I missed it as soon as the server went back online." Ehhhh... As Katsuya pulled a face however, she went on. "It was fine, otherwise." ...Oh.

That was a new response. The car continued on its path, and he turned. "Righ'..." Right. More silence. And another five awkward minutes before he found himself unable to avoid a topic he'd been dying to know about for some time. "...Seto-chan... ..Tha' kiss..."

"'If I live, we can forget all about it'. That's what you said isn't it?"

He coughed, looking away. "Y-Yeah... I..."

"Tch. Moron." Katsuya blinked, turning to the woman in mild surprise. "As though you'd forget something like that..."

"Ehehe..." Oh shit... "W... Well..."

"Let me be very clear on this, Katsuya." Oh shit that was his first name, why didn't this make him happy any more- "I am not some school girl or passing woman you can develop a crush on. Don't expect me to respond to any ridiculous hormonal urges of yours. ...Understand?"

"... ….Ehhhh!"

A smirk. "Hn! Good. We're clear then."

"Wh- I don' even-" The car came to a stop, and just as quickly she was opening the door to leave.

"That's all I'm saying on the subject, Mutt- take it or leave it." Uh.

"R-Right, well..." He stumbled out, Mokuba already making his way to the door and the car driving off on its own. "I..."

The woman sighed. "Make it quick, Katsuya... I still need to deal with the paperwork involved with flying back into the country without proper 'barrier' crossing." Oh yeah that. Er...

"I... I was wonderin'... When yer done with tha'... You wanna duel later? Like in th' backyard 'r somethin'?" For a moment, he thought she wasn't going to say anything. That she was just going to walk inside and things would eventually go back to as normal as things could be now. Instead...

"Alright then. ...Later."

Walking inside, he couldn't help but look forward to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This marks the end of completed arcs from ff.net; from here, while there are indeed a few other chapters remaining of existing arcs, I will be working on new content for the fic as well, rather than simply editing. Some have noticed that I already did a bit of adding here and there throughout this arc even- and while edits like that are in part why the next intermission will take a short bit of time before being posted, another part is simply a desire to expand a little more. On ff.net, there were three chapters of content between the end of this arc and the beginning of the Capmon arc; a span of a little more than half a year. As such, I intend to try and give more on the events during that time before diving in.
> 
> I'm so glad that those reading so far have been enjoying themselves however- it's been a long ride, not only in writing the original fanfic, but in the slog that was editing it for Ao3. It was well worth it however, and I look forward to finally unveiling what happens next in a way that those on ff.net won't be able to have guessed!


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